ridicule

/ˈɹɪdɪkjuːl/

//ˈɹɪdɪkjuːl// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"ridicule" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ridicule” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,679. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,679
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To criticize or disapprove of someone or something through scornful jocularity; to make fun of.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ridicule · ridicule · English

ridicule · rank #18,679 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,679
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH revered

Nearest frequency peer: revered (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “ridicule”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “ridicule” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for ridicule
PropertyValue
Headwordridicule
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɹɪdɪkjuːl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#18,679
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ridicule”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).ridiculelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “revered” (#18,678), “ridley” (#18,680), “Rene” (#18,677). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “ridicule” is #18,679. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around ridicule (IPA /ˈɹɪdɪkjuːl/), averb. Corpus frequency is #18,679 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To criticize or disapprove of someone or something through scornful jocularity; to make fun of.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for ridicule, with forms such as "irdicule", "rdiicule", and "ridciule". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: The obsolete adjective is borrowed from French ridicule, from Latin rīdiculus (“laughable, comical, amusing, absurd, ridiculous”), from ridere (“to laugh”). The noun is either from French, noun use of adjective, or from Latin rīdiculum, noun use of neuter o… The correct English form is ridicule, spelled R-I-D-I-C-U-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To criticize or disapprove of someone or something through scornful jocularity; to make fun of.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how ridicule appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. His older sibling constantly ridiculed him with sarcastic remarks.

Etymology

The obsolete adjective is borrowed from French ridicule, from Latin rīdiculus (“laughable, comical, amusing, absurd, ridiculous”), from ridere (“to laugh”). The noun is either from French, noun use of adjective, or from Latin rīdiculum, noun use of neuter of rīdiculus. The verb is from the noun or else from French ridiculer, from ridicule.

Synonyms

outlaughpillory

This word in other languages

ridiculiser(Français)verspotten(Deutsch)ridicularizar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • irdicule
  • rdiicule
  • ridciule
  • riddicule
  • ridiccule
  • ridiclue
  • ridicuel
  • ridiculle
  • ridiucle
  • riidcule
  • rridicule

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ridicule - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

irdicule2rdiicule2ridciule2riddicule1ridiccule1ridiclue2ridicuel2ridiculle1
Edit distance from "ridicule"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ridicule"?
"ridicule" is spelled R-I-D-I-C-U-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɪdɪkjuːl/.
What does "ridicule" mean?
As a verb, "ridicule" means: To criticize or disapprove of someone or something through scornful jocularity; to make fun of.
What are common misspellings of "ridicule"?
Common misspellings include "irdicule", "rdiicule", "ridciule", "riddicule", "ridiccule". The correct spelling is "ridicule".
How do you pronounce "ridicule"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ridicule" is /ˈɹɪdɪkjuːl/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "ridicule"?
The obsolete adjective is borrowed from French ridicule, from Latin rīdiculus (“laughable, comical, amusing, absurd, ridiculous”), from ridere (“to laugh”). The noun is either from French, noun use of adjective, or from Latin rīdiculum, noun use o... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "ridicule", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

roasting#18,681sculptor#18,687radiator#18,670Pretoria#18,659

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Shelton11 variantsslander11 variantspopulace11 variantssubpoena11 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list