Alcatraz

/ˈælkətɹæz/

//ˈælkətɹæz// name

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

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

The verdict

“Alcatraz” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,312. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,312
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An island in San Francisco Bay California, United States, formerly the site of a famous prison; in full, Alcatraz Island.

Corpus desk

Index EN-alcatraz · Alcatraz · English

Alcatraz · rank #37,312 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #37,312
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Albemarle

Nearest frequency peer: Albemarle (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “Alcatraz”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “Alcatraz” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Alcatraz
PropertyValue
HeadwordAlcatraz
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈælkətɹæz/
Letters8
Frequency rank#37,312
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “Alcatraz”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).Alcatrazlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Albemarle” (#37,311), “Adventist” (#37,310), “allot” (#37,314). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “Alcatraz” is #37,312. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around Alcatraz (IPA /ˈælkətɹæz/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #37,312 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for Alcatraz, with forms such as "aclatraz", "alactraz", and "alcartaz". 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. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Spanish Isla de los Alcatraces (“island of gannets”), named by Juan Manuel de Ayala, an explorer of San Francisco Bay. The correct English form is Alcatraz, spelled A-L-C-A-T-R-A-Z.

Definition

  1. 1
    An island in San Francisco Bay California, United States, formerly the site of a famous prison; in full, Alcatraz Island.
  2. 2
    Ellipsis of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, a famous former U.S. federal prison, on the island.
  3. 3
    Ellipsis of Fort Alcatraz, a U.S. coastal defense fort, predecessor of the prison.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Alcatraz was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

Etymology

From Spanish Isla de los Alcatraces (“island of gannets”), named by Juan Manuel de Ayala, an explorer of San Francisco Bay.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aclatraz
  • alactraz
  • alcartaz
  • alcatarz
  • alcatrazz
  • alcatrraz
  • alcatrza
  • alcattraz
  • alccatraz
  • alctaraz
  • allcatraz
  • lacatraz

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aclatraz2alactraz2alcartaz2alcatarz2alcatrazz1alcatrraz1alcatrza2alcattraz1
Edit distance from "Alcatraz"

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 "Alcatraz"?
"Alcatraz" is spelled A-L-C-A-T-R-A-Z. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈælkətɹæz/.
What does "Alcatraz" mean?
As a proper noun, "Alcatraz" means: An island in San Francisco Bay California, United States, formerly the site of a famous prison; in full, Alcatraz Island.
What are common misspellings of "Alcatraz"?
Common misspellings include "aclatraz", "alactraz", "alcartaz", "alcatarz", "alcatrazz". The correct spelling is "Alcatraz".
How do you pronounce "Alcatraz"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Alcatraz" is /ˈælkətɹæz/. 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 "Alcatraz"?
From Spanish Isla de los Alcatraces (“island of gannets”), named by Juan Manuel de Ayala, an explorer of San Francisco Bay. 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 "Alcatraz", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

anathema#37,317Abingdon#37,306Aurelius#37,327washroom#37,282

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

actuarial12 variantsauthorise12 variantsunpacked12 variantsbuttercup12 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list