altar

/ˈɒl.tə/

//ˈɒl.tə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“altar” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,562. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,562
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A table or similar flat-topped structure used for religious rites.

Corpus desk

Index EN-altar · altar · English

altar · rank #9,562 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,562
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Allan

Nearest frequency peer: Allan (-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 “altar”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “altar” 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).

altar vs ATA
0% similar
altar vs ATR
0% similar
altar vs alto
60% similar

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

Key facts for altar
PropertyValue
Headwordaltar
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɒl.tə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#9,562
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “altar”

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).altarlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Allan” (#9,561), “amp” (#9,563), “aligned” (#9,560). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “altar” is #9,562. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around altar (IPA /ˈɒl.tə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #9,562 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for altar, with forms such as "alatr", "alltar", and "altarr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ATA", "ATR", "alto", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English auter, inherited from Old English altar and borrowed from Old French auter, both derived from Latin altāre, probably related to adolere (“burn”); thus "burning place", influenced by altus (“high”). Displaced native Middle Engli… The correct English form is altar, spelled A-L-T-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A table or similar flat-topped structure used for religious rites.
  2. 2
    A raised area around an altar in a church; the sanctuary.
  3. 3
    Any (real or notional) place where something is worshipped or sacrificed to.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. To hawke, or els to hunt From the auter to the funt, Wyth cry unreverent, Before the sacrament, Wythin the holy church bowndis, That of our fayth the grownd is.
  2. Wax models of the pudenda of both sexes were regularly placed before the altar.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English auter, inherited from Old English altar and borrowed from Old French auter, both derived from Latin altāre, probably related to adolere (“burn”); thus "burning place", influenced by altus (“high”). Displaced native Middle English wēved.

This word in other languages

altar(Español)autel(Français)Altar(Deutsch)altar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • alatr
  • alltar
  • altarr
  • altra
  • alttar
  • atlar
  • latar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of altar - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

alatr2alltar1altarr1altra2alttar1atlar2latar2
Edit distance from "altar"

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 "altar"?
"altar" is spelled A-L-T-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒl.tə/.
What does "altar" mean?
As a noun, "altar" means: A table or similar flat-topped structure used for religious rites.
What words are commonly confused with "altar"?
"altar" is commonly confused with "ATA", "ATR", "alto". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "altar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "altar" is /ˈɒl.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 "altar"?
Inherited from Middle English auter, inherited from Old English altar and borrowed from Old French auter, both derived from Latin altāre, probably related to adolere (“burn”); thus "burning place", influenced by altus (“high”). Displaced native Mi... 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 "altar", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Allan#9,561atlas#9,565Venus#9,553Clara#9,581

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

arrows7 variantsspoil7 variantscoffin7 variantscombo7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list