solicit

/səˈlɪsɪt/

//səˈlɪsɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“solicit” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,968 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#26,968
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To persistently endeavor to obtain an object, or bring about an event.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

solicit vs solidity
75% similar
solicit vs solicitor
78% similar
solicit vs solicited
78% similar

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

Key facts for solicit
PropertyValue
Headwordsolicit
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/səˈlɪsɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#26,968
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “solicit” 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). solicit lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for solicit is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /səˈlɪsɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #26,968 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for solicit, with forms such as "oslicit", "sloicit", and "soilcit". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "solidity", "solicitor", "solicited", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English soliciten, solliciten, from Old French soliciter, solliciter, borrowed from Latin sollicitō (“stir, disturb; look after”), from sollicitus (“agitated, anxious, punctilious”, literally “thoroughly moved”), from sollus (“whole, entire”) + … The correct English form is solicit, spelled S-O-L-I-C-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To persistently endeavor to obtain an object, or bring about an event.
  2. 2
    To woo; to court.
  3. 3
    To persuade or incite one to commit some act, especially illegal or sexual behavior.
  4. 4
    To offer to perform sexual activity, especially when for a payment.
  5. 5
    To make a petition.
  6. 6
    To disturb or trouble; to harass.
  7. 7
    To urge the claims of; to plead; to act as solicitor for or with reference to.
  8. 8
    To disturb; to disquiet.

Etymology

From Middle English soliciten, solliciten, from Old French soliciter, solliciter, borrowed from Latin sollicitō (“stir, disturb; look after”), from sollicitus (“agitated, anxious, punctilious”, literally “thoroughly moved”), from sollus (“whole, entire”) + perfect passive participle of cieō (“shake, excite, cite, to put in motion”).

This word in other languages

solicitar(Español)racoler(Français)anfordern(Deutsch)solicitar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: oslicit,sloicit,soilcit,solciit,soliccit,solicitt,solicti,soliict,sollicit,ssolicit

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of solicit - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

oslicit2sloicit2soilcit2solciit2soliccit1solicitt1solicti2soliict2
Edit distance from "solicit"

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 "solicit"?
"solicit" is spelled S-O-L-I-C-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /səˈlɪsɪt/.
What does "solicit" mean?
As a verb, "solicit" means: To persistently endeavor to obtain an object, or bring about an event.
What words are commonly confused with "solicit"?
"solicit" is commonly confused with "solidity", "solicitor", "solicited". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "solicit"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "solicit" is /səˈlɪsɪt/. 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 "solicit"?
From Middle English soliciten, solliciten, from Old French soliciter, solliciter, borrowed from Latin sollicitō (“stir, disturb; look after”), from sollicitus (“agitated, anxious, punctilious”, literally “thoroughly moved”), from sollus (“whole, e... 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 “solicit”

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

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