Achilles

/əˈkɪliːz/

//əˈkɪliːz// name

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

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

The verdict

“Achilles” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,559 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#15,559
frequency rank, English
8
letters
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A mythical semidivine hero, the son of Peleus by the nereid Thetis, and prince of the Myrmidons, who features in the Iliad as a central character and the foremost warrior of the Achaean (Greek) camp.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Achilles vs Antilles
75% similar
Achilles vs achieves
63% similar

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

Key facts for Achilles
PropertyValue
HeadwordAchilles
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/əˈkɪliːz/
Letters8
Frequency rank#15,559
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Achilles” 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). Achilles 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 Achilles is 8 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈkɪliːz/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,559 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for Achilles, with forms such as "acchilles", "achhilles", and "achilels". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "Antilles", "achieves", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin Achillēs, from Ancient Greek Ἀχιλλεύς (Akhilleús). The correct English form is Achilles, spelled A-C-H-I-L-L-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A mythical semidivine hero, the son of Peleus by the nereid Thetis, and prince of the Myrmidons, who features in the Iliad as a central character and the foremost warrior of the Achaean (Greek) camp.
  2. 2
    A male given name from Ancient Greek.
  3. 3
    The Greek camp Trojan asteroid 588 Achilles.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Achillēs, from Ancient Greek Ἀχιλλεύς (Akhilleús).

This word in other languages

Aquiles(Español)Achille(Français)Achilleus(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acchilles,achhilles,achilels,achiles,achilless,achillse,achliles,acihlles,ahcilles,cahilles

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Achilles - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

acchilles1achhilles1achilels2achiles1achilless1achillse2achliles2acihlles2
Edit distance from "Achilles"

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 "Achilles"?
"Achilles" is spelled A-C-H-I-L-L-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈkɪliːz/.
What does "Achilles" mean?
As a proper noun, "Achilles" means: A mythical semidivine hero, the son of Peleus by the nereid Thetis, and prince of the Myrmidons, who features in the Iliad as a central character and the foremost warrior of the Achaean (Greek) camp.
What words are commonly confused with "Achilles"?
"Achilles" is commonly confused with "Antilles", "achieves". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Achilles"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Achilles" is /əˈkɪliːz/. 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 "Achilles"?
Borrowed from Latin Achillēs, from Ancient Greek Ἀχιλλεύς (Akhilleús). 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 “Achilles”

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

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