alibi

/ˈæl.ə.baɪ/

//ˈæl.ə.baɪ// noun

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

"alibi" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“alibi” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,274. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,274
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed.

Corpus desk

Index EN-alibi · alibi · English

alibi · rank #25,274 · 6 variants · 13 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,274
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 13 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH alf

Nearest frequency peer: alf (-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 “alibi”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “alibi” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

alibi vs alive
60% similar
alibi vs alien
60% similar
alibi vs Alice
40% similar

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

Key facts for alibi
PropertyValue
Headwordalibi
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæl.ə.baɪ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#25,274
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “alibi”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).alibilands 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. Same rarity band neighbours include “alf” (#25,273), “Anand” (#25,275), “Anfield” (#25,276). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “alibi” is #25,274. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around alibi (IPA /ˈæl.ə.baɪ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #25,274 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for alibi, with forms such as "ailbi", "albii", and "alibbi". 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. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "alive", "alien", "Alice", 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 the 18th century, from Latin alibī (“elsewhere, at another place”, adverb). Probably after French alibi, which has this use since the late 14th century. The correct English form is alibi, spelled A-L-I-B-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed.
  2. 2
    An excuse, especially one used to avoid responsibility or blame.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. to set up an alibi
  2. to prove an alibi

Etymology

From the 18th century, from Latin alibī (“elsewhere, at another place”, adverb). Probably after French alibi, which has this use since the late 14th century.

This word in other languages

coartada(Español)alibi(Français)Alibi(Deutsch)álibi(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ailbi
  • albii
  • alibbi
  • aliib
  • allibi
  • laibi

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ailbi2albii2alibbi1aliib2allibi1laibi2
Edit distance from "alibi"

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 "alibi"?
"alibi" is spelled A-L-I-B-I. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæl.ə.baɪ/.
What does "alibi" mean?
As a noun, "alibi" means: The plea or mode of defense under which a person on trial for a crime proves or attempts to prove being in another place when the alleged act was committed.
What words are commonly confused with "alibi"?
"alibi" is commonly confused with "alive", "alien", "Alice". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "alibi"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "alibi" is /ˈæl.ə.baɪ/. 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 "alibi"?
From the 18th century, from Latin alibī (“elsewhere, at another place”, adverb). Probably after French alibi, which has this use since the late 14th century. 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 "alibi", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Anand#25,275Arias#25,280Aztec#25,287whisk#25,257

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Bennet6 variantssully6 variantsclit6 variantsdeems6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list