anchorite

/ˈæŋ.kə(ˌ)ɹaɪt/

//ˈæŋ.kə(ˌ)ɹaɪt// noun

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

The verdict

“anchorite” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who lives in isolation or seclusion, especially for religious reasons; hermit.

Corpus desk

Index EN-anchorite · anchorite · English

anchorite · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for anchorite
PropertyValue
Headwordanchorite
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæŋ.kə(ˌ)ɹaɪt/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “anchorite” in English

anchoriteranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

anchorite is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈæŋ.kə(ˌ)ɹaɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "One who lives in isolation or seclusion, especially for religious reasons; hermit.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for anchorite, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek ἀναχωρητής (anakhōrētḗs, “anchorite”), from ἀναχωρέω (anakhōréō, “to withdraw, retire”), via Latin anchōrēta, a variant of anachōrēta (“anchorite”), see -ite. The correct English form is anchorite, spelled A-N-C-H-O-R-I-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who lives in isolation or seclusion, especially for religious reasons; hermit.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Oh, hang him? He's a very Anchorite—a young Hermit!
  2. The household was diminished, and its expenses curtailed. There was a very blank anchorite repast when Pen dined from home: and he himself headed the remonstrance from the kitchen regarding the deteriorated quality of the Fairoaks beer.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀναχωρητής (anakhōrētḗs, “anchorite”), from ἀναχωρέω (anakhōréō, “to withdraw, retire”), via Latin anchōrēta, a variant of anachōrēta (“anchorite”), see -ite.

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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "anchorite"?
"anchorite" is spelled A-N-C-H-O-R-I-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæŋ.kə(ˌ)ɹaɪt/.
What does "anchorite" mean?
As a noun, "anchorite" means: One who lives in isolation or seclusion, especially for religious reasons; hermit.
How do you pronounce "anchorite"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "anchorite" is /ˈæŋ.kə(ˌ)ɹaɪt/. 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 "anchorite"?
From Ancient Greek ἀναχωρητής (anakhōrētḗs, “anchorite”), from ἀναχωρέω (anakhōréō, “to withdraw, retire”), via Latin anchōrēta, a variant of anachōrēta (“anchorite”), see -ite. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list