accountability

/əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/

//əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti// noun

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

"accountability" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“accountability” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,111. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,111
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
19
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The state of being accountable; liability to be called on to render an account or give an explanation; liability to be held responsible or answerable for something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-accountability · accountability · English

accountability · rank #8,111 · 19 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,111
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-7 7 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 19 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH aerial

Nearest frequency peer: aerial (+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 “accountability”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “accountability” 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
Key facts for accountability
PropertyValue
Headwordaccountability
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/
Letters14
Frequency rank#8,111
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “accountability” 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).accountability lands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 19 spelling variants around accountability (IPA /əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #8,111 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for accountability, with forms such as "acconutability", "accounatbility", and "accounntability". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From accountable + -ity. The correct English form is accountability, spelled A-C-C-O-U-N-T-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being accountable; liability to be called on to render an account or give an explanation; liability to be held responsible or answerable for something.
  2. 2
    An open determination of one's responsibility for something and imposition of consequences.
  3. 3
    An acceptance of good faith of one's responsibility for something and of its consequences.
  4. 4
    The obligation imposed by law or regulation on an officer or other person for keeping an accurate record of property, documents, or funds.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The United States stands at this time at the pinnacle of world power. It is a solemn moment for the American Democracy. For with primacy in power is also joined an awe-inspiring accountability to the future.
  2. Some companies may not even know whether nanomaterials are present in their products, the corporate accountability group As You Sow said.

Etymology

From accountable + -ity.

Synonyms

accountableness

This word in other languages

responsabilidad(Español)responsabilité(Français)Verantwortlichkeit(Deutsch)responsabilidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • acconutability
  • accounatbility
  • accounntability
  • accountabbility
  • accountabiilty
  • accountabilitty
  • accountabilityy
  • accountabiliyt
  • accountabillity
  • accountabiltiy
  • accountabliity
  • accountaiblity
  • accountbaility
  • accounttability
  • accoutnability
  • accuontability
  • acocuntability
  • acountability
  • cacountability

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acconutability2accounatbility2accounntability1accountabbility1accountabiilty2accountabilitty1accountabilityy1accountabiliyt2
Edit distance from "accountability"

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 "accountability"?
"accountability" is spelled A-C-C-O-U-N-T-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/.
What does "accountability" mean?
As a noun, "accountability" means: The state of being accountable; liability to be called on to render an account or give an explanation; liability to be held responsible or answerable for something.
What are common misspellings of "accountability"?
Common misspellings include "acconutability", "accounatbility", "accounntability", "accountabbility", "accountabiilty". The correct spelling is "accountability".
How do you pronounce "accountability"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "accountability" is /əˌkaʊn.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/. 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 "accountability"?
From accountable + -ity. 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 "accountability", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 14 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

pharmaceutical#8,332qualifications#8,596reconstruction#7,602superintendent#7,505

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (19 here; floor ≥5).

implementing19 variantsneighbourhood19 variantsimprisonment19 variantsconsequently19 variants

What to do next

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

  • 19 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #8,111 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "A" letter cohort. A–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