altimeter

/ælˈtɪm.ɪ.tɚ/

//ælˈtɪm.ɪ.tɚ// noun

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

The verdict

“altimeter” is uncommon English (frequency #53,997 among 3,931 “A” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,997
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An apparatus for measuring altitude.

Corpus desk

Index EN-altimeter · altimeter · English

altimeter · rank #53,997 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,997
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH alphabetic

Nearest frequency peer: alphabetic (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “altimeter”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “altimeter” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for altimeter
PropertyValue
Headwordaltimeter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ælˈtɪm.ɪ.tɚ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#53,997
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “altimeter” in English

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).altimeterfalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “alphabetic” (#53,996), “alumnae” (#53,998), “aks” (#53,994). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “altimeter” is #53,997. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

altimeter is uncommon English at frequency #53,997 among 3,931 “A” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ælˈtɪm.ɪ.tɚ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "An apparatus for measuring altitude.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for altimeter, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Coined based on Latin altus (“high”) + -meter. The correct English form is altimeter, spelled A-L-T-I-M-E-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    An apparatus for measuring altitude.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. For that reason, if you do any mountain climbing, allow a generous margin of error of extra altitude—not only for possible altimeter error, but also for downdrafts that are particularly prevalent if high winds are encountered.

Etymology

Coined based on Latin altus (“high”) + -meter.

This word in other languages

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 "altimeter"?
"altimeter" is spelled A-L-T-I-M-E-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ælˈtɪm.ɪ.tɚ/.
What does "altimeter" mean?
As a noun, "altimeter" means: An apparatus for measuring altitude.
How do you pronounce "altimeter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "altimeter" is /ælˈtɪm.ɪ.tɚ/. 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 "altimeter"?
Coined based on Latin altus (“high”) + -meter. 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 "altimeter", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list