algorithm
Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.
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9 characters
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English
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Detailed reference entry for the English word "algorithm", 9-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "algorithm" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "algorithm" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.
algorithm is aEnglishnoun. It means: A collection of ordered steps that solve a mathematical problem. A precise step-by-step plan for a computational procedure that possibly begins with an input value and yields an output value in a f... Pronounced /ˈælɡəɹɪðm̩/. It ranks #6,860 in English word frequency. Often confused with algorithms and algorithmic.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | algorithm |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈælɡəɹɪðm̩/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #6,860 |
| Misspellings tracked | 14 |
| Confusable pairs | 2 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Frequency rank visualization
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for algorithm is 9 letters long, classified as anoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈælɡəɹɪðm̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,860 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 Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 14 documented wrong-spelling variants for algorithm, with forms such as "aglorithm", "alggorithm", and "algoirthm". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "algorithms", "algorithmic", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Arabic ال (al-) Old Persian 𐎢𐎺𐎠𐎼𐏀𐎷𐎡𐏁 (u-v-a-r-z-mi-i-š) Classical Persian خْوَارَزْم (xwārazm)bor. Arabic خَوَارِزْم (ḵawārizm) Arabic ـِيّ (-iyy) Arabic خَوَارِزْمِيّ (ḵawārizmiyy) Arabic الخَوَارِزْمِيّ (al-ḵawārizmiyy)bor. Medieval… Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is algorithm, spelled A-L-G-O-R-I-T-H-M, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Definition
- 1A collection of ordered steps that solve a mathematical problem. A precise step-by-step plan for a computational procedure that possibly begins with an input value and yields an output value in a finite number of steps.
- 2A flowchart illustrating a decision-making process for human users, especially health care professionals.
- 3Calculation with Arabic numerals; algorism.
- 4recommender systems and the curation of feeds
- 5recommender systems and the curation of feeds
- 6recommender systems and the curation of feeds
Etymology
Etymology tree Arabic ال (al-) Old Persian 𐎢𐎺𐎠𐎼𐏀𐎷𐎡𐏁 (u-v-a-r-z-mi-i-š) Classical Persian خْوَارَزْم (xwārazm)bor. Arabic خَوَارِزْم (ḵawārizm) Arabic ـِيّ (-iyy) Arabic خَوَارِزْمِيّ (ḵawārizmiyy) Arabic الخَوَارِزْمِيّ (al-ḵawārizmiyy)bor. Medieval Latin algorismusbor. Anglo-Norman algorismebor. Middle English algorisme English algorism ▲ English arithmo-influ. English algorithm From Middle English algorisme, augrym, from Anglo-Norman algorisme, augrim, from Medieval Latin algorismus, from Arabic الخَوَارِزْمِيّ (al-ḵawārizmiyy), the nisba of Persian mathematician Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī and a toponymic name meaning "person from Chorasmia". The spelling change (-s- > -th-) was influenced by unrelated Ancient Greek ἀριθμός (arithmós) (whence English arithmo-).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: aglorithm,alggorithm,algoirthm,algorihtm,algorithhm,algorithmm,algoritmh,algoritthm,algorrithm,algortihm,algroithm,allgorithm,alogrithm,lagorithm
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
Relative frequency of common misspelling types for algorithm
Misspelling Variants of "algorithm"
Frequency rank: #6,860 in English
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Nearby English words
Other entries that begin with the letter A in our English index: