absentee

/ˌæb.sn̩ˈti/

//ˌæb.sn̩ˈti// noun

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

"absentee" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“absentee” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #23,160 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#23,160
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

absentee vs absinthe
75% similar
absentee vs absentia
75% similar
absentee vs absent
75% similar

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

Key facts for absentee
PropertyValue
Headwordabsentee
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌæb.sn̩ˈti/
Letters8
Frequency rank#23,160
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “absentee” 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). absentee 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 absentee is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌæb.sn̩ˈti/. Corpus data places it at rank #23,160 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for absentee, with forms such as "abbsentee", "abesntee", and "absenete". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "absinthe", "absentia", "absent", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From absent + -ee. The correct English form is absentee, spelled A-B-S-E-N-T-E-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc.
  2. 2
    A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc.
  3. 3
    A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc.
  4. 4
    Something that is not present where it might be expected.
  5. 5
    Designating something whose owner, person responsible, etc. is absent.
  6. 6
    A landholder who lives in another district or country than the one in which his estate is situated.
  7. 7
    A voter who is not present at the time of voting; absentee voter.

Etymology

From absent + -ee.

This word in other languages

ausente(Español)absent(Français)Abwesender(Deutsch)ausente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abbsentee,abesntee,absenete,absenntee,absente,absenttee,absetnee,absnetee,abssentee,asbentee,basentee

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

abbsentee1abesntee2absenete2absenntee1absente1absenttee1absetnee2absnetee2
Edit distance from "absentee"

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 "absentee"?
"absentee" is spelled A-B-S-E-N-T-E-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌæb.sn̩ˈti/.
What does "absentee" mean?
As a noun, "absentee" means: A person who is absent from his or her employment, school, post, duty, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "absentee"?
"absentee" is commonly confused with "absinthe", "absentia", "absent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "absentee"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "absentee" is /ˌæb.sn̩ˈti/. 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 "absentee"?
From absent + -ee. 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 “absentee”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-B-S-E-N-T-E-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌæb.sn̩ˈti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “absinthe” - see the side-by-side comparison. absentee vs absinthe
  • 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