socket

/ˈsɒkɪt/

//ˈsɒkɪt// noun

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

"socket" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“socket” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,635. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,635
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of various concave objects (or portions of larger objects) that envelop a counterpart object.

Corpus desk

Index EN-socket · socket · English

socket · rank #14,635 · 9 variants · 16 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,635
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 16 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sneaky

Nearest frequency peer: sneaky (-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 “socket”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “socket” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

socket vs socks
67% similar
socket vs soviet
67% similar
socket vs sucker
67% similar

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

Key facts for socket
PropertyValue
Headwordsocket
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɒkɪt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#14,635
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “socket”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).socketlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “sneaky” (#14,634), “spanning” (#14,636), “sexism” (#14,632). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “socket” is #14,635. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around socket (IPA /ˈsɒkɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #14,635 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for socket, with forms such as "oscket", "scoket", and "soccket". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "socks", "soviet", "sucker", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English socket, soket, from Anglo-Norman soket (“spearhead”), diminutive of Old French soc (“plowshare”), from Vulgar Latin *soccus, a word borrowed from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *sukkos (compare modern Welsh swch (“plowshare”)), literally "pi… The correct English form is socket, spelled S-O-C-K-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of various concave objects (or portions of larger objects) that envelop a counterpart object.
  2. 2
    Any of various concave objects (or portions of larger objects) that envelop a counterpart object.
  3. 3
    Any of various concave objects (or portions of larger objects) that envelop a counterpart object.
  4. 4
    Any of various concave objects (or portions of larger objects) that envelop a counterpart object.
  5. 5
    Any of various concave objects (or portions of larger objects) that envelop a counterpart object.
  6. 6
    One endpoint of a two-way communication link, used for interprocess communication across a network.
  7. 7
    One endpoint of a two-way named pipe on Unix and Unix-like systems, used for interprocess communication.
  8. 8
    A steel apparatus attached to a saddle to protect the thighs and legs.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Near-synonyms: jack, outlet, receptacle, wall socket
  2. Each seat must have a 230V socket, a USB socket, a coat hook, reading light and cup holder.

Etymology

From Middle English socket, soket, from Anglo-Norman soket (“spearhead”), diminutive of Old French soc (“plowshare”), from Vulgar Latin *soccus, a word borrowed from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *sukkos (compare modern Welsh swch (“plowshare”)), literally "pig's snout", from Proto-Indo-European *suH-.

This word in other languages

enchufe(Español)prise(Français)Steckdose(Deutsch)tomada(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • oscket
  • scoket
  • soccket
  • socekt
  • sockett
  • sockket
  • sockte
  • sokcet
  • ssocket

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

oscket2scoket2soccket1socekt2sockett1sockket1sockte2sokcet2
Edit distance from "socket"

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 "socket"?
"socket" is spelled S-O-C-K-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɒkɪt/.
What does "socket" mean?
As a noun, "socket" means: Any of various concave objects (or portions of larger objects) that envelop a counterpart object.
What words are commonly confused with "socket"?
"socket" is commonly confused with "socks", "soviet", "sucker". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "socket"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "socket" is /ˈsɒkɪt/. 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 "socket"?
From Middle English socket, soket, from Anglo-Norman soket (“spearhead”), diminutive of Old French soc (“plowshare”), from Vulgar Latin *soccus, a word borrowed from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *sukkos (compare modern Welsh swch (“plowshare”)), lit... 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 "socket", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sneaky#14,634sexism#14,632starve#14,640reigns#14,621

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

spouses9 variantspresses9 variantspiracy9 variantsuphold9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list