altitude

/ˈælt.ɪˌtjuːd/

//ˈælt.ɪˌtjuːd// noun

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

"altitude" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“altitude” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,005. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,005
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The absolute height of a location, usually measured from sea level.

Corpus desk

Index EN-altitude · altitude · English

altitude · rank #8,005 · 10 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,005
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH airplane

Nearest frequency peer: airplane (-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 “altitude”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “altitude” 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).

altitude vs attitude
88% similar
altitude vs aptitude
88% similar

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

Key facts for altitude
PropertyValue
Headwordaltitude
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈælt.ɪˌtjuːd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#8,005
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “altitude”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).altitudelands 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 “airplane” (#8,004), “Athens” (#8,006), “affection” (#8,003). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “altitude” is #8,005. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around altitude (IPA /ˈælt.ɪˌtjuːd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #8,005 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for altitude, with forms such as "alittude", "alltitude", and "altitdue". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "attitude", "aptitude", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English, borrowed from Latin altitūdō (“height”), from altus (“high”). The correct English form is altitude, spelled A-L-T-I-T-U-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The absolute height of a location, usually measured from sea level.
  2. 2
    A vertical distance.
  3. 3
    The line perpendicularly connecting a figure’s vertex, especially a triangle’s apex, to the side opposite to the vertex.
  4. 4
    The length of such a line; the distance measured perpendicularly from a figure's vertex to the side opposite to the vertex.
  5. 5
    The angular distance of a heavenly body above our Earth's horizon.
  6. 6
    Height of rank or excellence; superiority.
  7. 7
    Elevation of spirits; heroics; haughty airs.
  8. 8
    Highest point or degree.
  9. 9
    Krull dimension.
  10. 10
    Height.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. As the altitude increases, the temperature gets lower, so remember to bring warm clothes to the mountains.
  2. Like most human activities, ballooning has sponsored heroes and hucksters and a good deal in between. For every dedicated scientist patiently recording atmospheric pressure and wind speed while shivering at high altitudes, there is a carnival barker with a bevy of pretty girls willing to dangle from a basket or parachute down to earth.

Etymology

From Middle English, borrowed from Latin altitūdō (“height”), from altus (“high”).

This word in other languages

altitud(Español)altitude(Français)Höhe(Deutsch)altitude(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • alittude
  • alltitude
  • altitdue
  • altittude
  • altitudde
  • altitued
  • altiutde
  • alttitude
  • alttiude
  • atlitude

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

alittude2alltitude1altitdue2altittude1altitudde1altitued2altiutde2alttitude1
Edit distance from "altitude"

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 "altitude"?
"altitude" is spelled A-L-T-I-T-U-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈælt.ɪˌtjuːd/.
What does "altitude" mean?
As a noun, "altitude" means: The absolute height of a location, usually measured from sea level.
What words are commonly confused with "altitude"?
"altitude" is commonly confused with "attitude", "aptitude". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "altitude"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "altitude" is /ˈælt.ɪˌtjuːd/. 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 "altitude"?
From Middle English, borrowed from Latin altitūdō (“height”), from altus (“high”). 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 "altitude", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

airplane#8,004absorbed#8,001biblical#8,012Vladimir#7,998

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

texture10 variantssustain10 variantsSullivan10 variantsGabriel10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list