achieve

/əˈt͡ʃiːv/

//əˈt͡ʃiːv// verb

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

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

The verdict

“achieve” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,607 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,607
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To succeed in something, now especially in academic performance.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

achieve vs active
71% similar
achieve vs archive
71% similar
achieve vs achieved
88% similar

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

Key facts for achieve
PropertyValue
Headwordachieve
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈt͡ʃiːv/
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,607
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “achieve” 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). achieve 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 achieve is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈt͡ʃiːv/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,607 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for achieve, with forms such as "acchieve", "acheive", and "achhieve". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "active", "archive", "achieved", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English achieven, acheven, from Anglo-Norman achever, Old French achever, achiever et al., apparently from Late Latin *accapāre, from ad (“to”) + caput (“head”) + -ō (verbal suffix), or alternatively a construction based on Old French chief (“he… The correct English form is achieve, spelled A-C-H-I-E-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To succeed in something, now especially in academic performance.
  2. 2
    To carry out successfully; to accomplish.
  3. 3
    To conclude, finish, especially successfully.
  4. 4
    To obtain, or gain (a desired result, objective etc.), as the result of exertion; to succeed in gaining; to win.
  5. 5
    To conclude, to turn out.
  6. 6
    To obtain (a material thing).

Etymology

From Middle English achieven, acheven, from Anglo-Norman achever, Old French achever, achiever et al., apparently from Late Latin *accapāre, from ad (“to”) + caput (“head”) + -ō (verbal suffix), or alternatively a construction based on Old French chief (“head”). Compare Catalan, Occitan, Portuguese and Spanish acabar, French achever.

Synonyms

accomplishcompassfulfillrealizeconcludeendfinalizecompleteattainobtaincompassget one's hands onacquirecatchearngaingetlandreachscoresucceedwin

Antonyms

losemiss

This word in other languages

conseguir(Español)accomplir(Français)erreichen(Deutsch)conseguir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acchieve,acheive,achhieve,achieev,achievve,achivee,aciheve,ahcieve,cahieve

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

acchieve1acheive2achhieve1achieev2achievve1achivee2aciheve2ahcieve2
Edit distance from "achieve"

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 "achieve"?
"achieve" is spelled A-C-H-I-E-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈt͡ʃiːv/.
What does "achieve" mean?
As a verb, "achieve" means: To succeed in something, now especially in academic performance.
What words are commonly confused with "achieve"?
"achieve" is commonly confused with "active", "archive", "achieved". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "achieve"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "achieve" is /əˈt͡ʃiːv/. 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 "achieve"?
From Middle English achieven, acheven, from Anglo-Norman achever, Old French achever, achiever et al., apparently from Late Latin *accapāre, from ad (“to”) + caput (“head”) + -ō (verbal suffix), or alternatively a construction based on Old French ... 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 “achieve”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-C-H-I-E-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈt͡ʃiːv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “active” - see the side-by-side comparison. achieve vs active
  • 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