alligator

/ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tə/

//ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tə// noun

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

"alligator" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“alligator” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,009. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,009
frequency rank, English
35,202
“A” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Either of two species of large amphibious reptile, Alligator mississippiensis or Alligator sinensis, in the genus Alligator within order Crocodilia, which have sharp teeth and very strong jaws and ...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

alligator vs alligators
90% similar

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

Key facts for alligator
PropertyValue
Headwordalligator
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#19,009
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “alligator” 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). alligator lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around alligator (IPA /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #19,009 among 35,202 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for alligator, with forms such as "aligator", "alilgator", and "allgiator". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "alligators", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: ] From early Modern English alligater, alligarta, aligarto, alegarto, alagarto, from Spanish el lagarto (“the lizard”), from Latin lacertus (“lizard”), modern spelling possibly influenced by the unrelated Latin alligator (“one who binds”). The correct English form is alligator, spelled A-L-L-I-G-A-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Either of two species of large amphibious reptile, Alligator mississippiensis or Alligator sinensis, in the genus Alligator within order Crocodilia, which have sharp teeth and very strong jaws and are native to the Americas and China, respectively.
  2. 2
    A member of the family Alligatoridae, which includes the caimans.
  3. 3
    A dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis)
  4. 4
    A crocodile of any species.
  5. 5
    Any of various machines with strong jaws, one of which opens like the movable jaw of an alligator.
  6. 6
    Any of various machines with strong jaws, one of which opens like the movable jaw of an alligator.
  7. 7
    Any of various machines with strong jaws, one of which opens like the movable jaw of an alligator.
  8. 8
    Any of various vehicles that have relatively long, low noses in front of a cab or other, usually windowed, structure.
  9. 9
    An alligator-skin shoe.
  10. 10
    A swing music fan or performer, especially one who is white.

Etymology

] From early Modern English alligater, alligarta, aligarto, alegarto, alagarto, from Spanish el lagarto (“the lizard”), from Latin lacertus (“lizard”), modern spelling possibly influenced by the unrelated Latin alligator (“one who binds”).

Synonyms

gator

This word in other languages

aligátor(Español)alligator(Français)Alligator(Deutsch)jacaré(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aligator,alilgator,allgiator,alliagtor,alligaotr,alligatorr,alligatro,alligattor,alliggator,alligtaor,laligator

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aligator1alilgator2allgiator2alliagtor2alligaotr2alligatorr1alligatro2alligattor1
Edit distance from "alligator"

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 "alligator"?
"alligator" is spelled A-L-L-I-G-A-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tə/.
What does "alligator" mean?
As a noun, "alligator" means: Either of two species of large amphibious reptile, Alligator mississippiensis or Alligator sinensis, in the genus Alligator within order Crocodilia, which have sharp teeth and very strong jaws and ...
What words are commonly confused with "alligator"?
"alligator" is commonly confused with "alligators". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "alligator"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "alligator" is /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tə/. 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 "alligator"?
] From early Modern English alligater, alligarta, aligarto, alegarto, alagarto, from Spanish el lagarto (“the lizard”), from Latin lacertus (“lizard”), modern spelling possibly influenced by the unrelated Latin alligator (“one who binds”). 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 “alligator”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-L-L-I-G-A-T-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “alligators” - see the side-by-side comparison. alligator vs alligators
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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