silicon

/ˈsɪlɪkən/

//ˈsɪlɪkən// noun

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

"silicon" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“silicon” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,179. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,179
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A nonmetallic element (symbol Si) with an atomic number of 14 and atomic weight of 28.0855.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

silicon vs silicone
88% similar
silicon vs silica
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for silicon
PropertyValue
Headwordsilicon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪlɪkən/
Letters7
Frequency rank#7,179
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “silicon” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around silicon (IPA /ˈsɪlɪkən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #7,179 among 54,294 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for silicon, with forms such as "islicon", "siilcon", and "silcion". 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. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "silicone", "silica", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Coined by Scottish chemist Thomas Thomson as a modification of the earlier name silicium, from the stem of Latin silex (“flint, silica”) + -on from carbon. The correct English form is silicon, spelled S-I-L-I-C-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A nonmetallic element (symbol Si) with an atomic number of 14 and atomic weight of 28.0855.
  2. 2
    A single atom of this element.

Etymology

Coined by Scottish chemist Thomas Thomson as a modification of the earlier name silicium, from the stem of Latin silex (“flint, silica”) + -on from carbon.

This word in other languages

silicio(Español)silicium(Français)Silizium(Deutsch)silício(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • islicon
  • siilcon
  • silcion
  • siliccon
  • silicno
  • siliconn
  • siliocn
  • sillicon
  • sliicon
  • ssilicon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

islicon2siilcon2silcion2siliccon1silicno2siliconn1siliocn2sillicon1
Edit distance from "silicon"

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 "silicon"?
"silicon" is spelled S-I-L-I-C-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪlɪkən/.
What does "silicon" mean?
As a noun, "silicon" means: A nonmetallic element (symbol Si) with an atomic number of 14 and atomic weight of 28.0855.
What words are commonly confused with "silicon"?
"silicon" is commonly confused with "silicone", "silica". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "silicon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "silicon" is /ˈsɪlɪkən/. 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 "silicon"?
Coined by Scottish chemist Thomas Thomson as a modification of the earlier name silicium, from the stem of Latin silex (“flint, silica”) + -on from carbon. 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.

Using “silicon”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-I-L-I-C-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsɪlɪkən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “silicone” - see the side-by-side comparison. silicon vs silicone
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list