# specialist

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈspɛʃəlɪst/ · frequency rank #4,491

## Definitions
1. Specialised, involving detailed knowledge of a restricted topic.

## Etymology
Borrowed from French spécialiste, equivalent to special + -ist.

## Easily confused with
- **specialize** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/specialist-vs-specialize)
- **speciality** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/specialist-vs-speciality)
- **socialist** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/socialist-vs-specialist)
- **specialise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/specialise-vs-specialist)
- **specialised** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/specialised-vs-specialist)

## Common misspellings (15)
`psecialist`, `sepcialist`, `spceialist`, `specailist`, `speccialist`, `speciailst`, `specialisst`, `specialistt`, `specialits`, `speciallist`, `specialsit`, `specilaist`, `speicalist`, `sppecialist`, `sspecialist`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/specialist