vice

/vaɪs/

//vaɪs// noun

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

"vice" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“vice” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,024. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,024
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Bad or immoral behaviour.

Corpus desk

Index EN-vice · vice · English

vice · rank #2,024 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,024
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH turning

Nearest frequency peer: turning (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “vice”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “vice” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

vice vs VIP
0% similar
vice vs vis
50% similar
vice vs vid
50% similar

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

Key facts for vice
PropertyValue
Headwordvice
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/vaɪs/
Letters4
Frequency rank#2,024
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “vice” 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). vice 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 5 spelling variants around vice (IPA /vaɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,024 among 969 “V” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for vice, with forms such as "ivce", "vcie", and "vicce". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "VIP", "vis", "vid", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English vice, from Old French vice, from Latin vitium (“fault or blemish”). Displaced native Old English unþēaw. The correct English form is vice, spelled V-I-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Bad or immoral behaviour.
  2. 2
    Any of various crimes related (depending on jurisdiction) to weapons, prostitution, pornography, gambling, alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.
  3. 3
    Clipping of vice squad.
  4. 4
    A defect in the temper or behaviour of a horse, such as to make the animal dangerous, to injure its health, or to diminish its usefulness.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Pride is a vice, not a virtue.
  2. Smoking was a vice Sally picked up in high school.

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English vice, from Old French vice, from Latin vitium (“fault or blemish”). Displaced native Old English unþēaw.

This word in other languages

vicio(Español)vice(Français)Laster(Deutsch)vício(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ivce
  • vcie
  • vicce
  • viec
  • vvice

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of vice - 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.

ivce2vcie2vicce1viec2vvice1
Edit distance from "vice"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "vice"?
"vice" is spelled V-I-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /vaɪs/.
What does "vice" mean?
As a noun, "vice" means: Bad or immoral behaviour.
What words are commonly confused with "vice"?
"vice" is commonly confused with "VIP", "vis", "vid". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "vice"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vice" is /vaɪs/. 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 "vice"?
PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English vice, from Old French vice, from Latin vitium (“fault or blemish”). Displaced native Old English unþēaw. 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 "vice", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

warm#2,025arts#2,028beer#2,029crew#2,033

Similar misspelling depth

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

suit5 variantsboat5 variantsbear5 variantszone5 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "vice". Here's where to go from here.

  • "vice" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "VIP". View pair
  • 5 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #2,024 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "V" letter cohort. V–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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