amethyst

/ˈæm.ə.θɪst/

//ˈæm.ə.θɪst// noun

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

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

The verdict

“amethyst” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,448. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,448
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A transparent purple to violet variety of quartz with traces of manganese, used as a gemstone.

Corpus desk

Index EN-amethyst · amethyst · English

amethyst · rank #28,448 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,448
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH ambivalent

Nearest frequency peer: ambivalent (-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 “amethyst”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “amethyst” 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
Key facts for amethyst
PropertyValue
Headwordamethyst
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæm.ə.θɪst/
Letters8
Frequency rank#28,448
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “amethyst”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).amethystlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “ambivalent” (#28,447), “amit” (#28,449), “angling” (#28,450). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “amethyst” is #28,448. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around amethyst (IPA /ˈæm.ə.θɪst/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,448 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for amethyst, with forms such as "aemthyst", "amehtyst", and "amethhyst". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ametist, from Old French ametiste (French améthyste), from Ancient Greek ἀμέθυστος (améthustos, “not drunk”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + μεθύω (methúō, “I am drunk”), from μέθυ (méthu, “wine”). The name was based on the ancient belief that am… The correct English form is amethyst, spelled A-M-E-T-H-Y-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A transparent purple to violet variety of quartz with traces of manganese, used as a gemstone.
  2. 2
    A purple colour.
  3. 3
    The tincture purpure, when blazoning by precious stones.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The burning evening sun lighted with mellow gold the coats of the fierce little tiger-kittens — orange silk with stripes of black velvet — the broken amethysts and ruined emeralds of the poor bird's train cruelly scattered over the trampled grass
  2. Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are […] . (Common gem materials not addressed in this article include amber, amethyst, chalcedony, garnet, lazurite, malachite, opals, peridot, rhodonite, spinel, tourmaline, turquoise and zircon.)

Etymology

From Middle English ametist, from Old French ametiste (French améthyste), from Ancient Greek ἀμέθυστος (améthustos, “not drunk”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + μεθύω (methúō, “I am drunk”), from μέθυ (méthu, “wine”). The name was based on the ancient belief that amethyst gemstones could prevent intoxication. People in ancient Greece and Rome would wear amethyst or drink from cups made of amethyst to ward off the effects of alcohol.

This word in other languages

amatista(Español)améthyste(Français)Amethyst(Deutsch)ametista(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aemthyst
  • amehtyst
  • amethhyst
  • amethsyt
  • amethysst
  • amethystt
  • amethyts
  • amethyyst
  • ametthyst
  • ametyhst
  • ammethyst
  • amtehyst
  • maethyst

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aemthyst2amehtyst2amethhyst1amethsyt2amethysst1amethystt1amethyts2amethyyst1
Edit distance from "amethyst"

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 "amethyst"?
"amethyst" is spelled A-M-E-T-H-Y-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæm.ə.θɪst/.
What does "amethyst" mean?
As a noun, "amethyst" means: A transparent purple to violet variety of quartz with traces of manganese, used as a gemstone.
What are common misspellings of "amethyst"?
Common misspellings include "aemthyst", "amehtyst", "amethhyst", "amethsyt", "amethysst". The correct spelling is "amethyst".
How do you pronounce "amethyst"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "amethyst" is /ˈæm.ə.θɪst/. 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 "amethyst"?
From Middle English ametist, from Old French ametiste (French améthyste), from Ancient Greek ἀμέθυστος (améthustos, “not drunk”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + μεθύω (methúō, “I am drunk”), from μέθυ (méthu, “wine”). The name was based on the ancient beli... 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 "amethyst", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

antennae#28,452abridged#28,441catapult#28,481unhinged#28,412

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

whereupon13 variantsumbilical13 variantsconnective13 variantssynaptic13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list