anecdote
/ˈæn.ɪkˌdəʊt/
"anecdote" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“anecdote” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,285 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #22,285
- frequency rank, English
- 8
- letters
- 11
- tracked misspellings
- 3
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A short account of a real incident or person, often humorous or interesting.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | anecdote |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈæn.ɪkˌdəʊt/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #22,285 |
| Misspellings tracked | 11 |
| Confusable pairs | 3 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “anecdote” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for anecdote is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈæn.ɪkˌdəʊt/. Corpus data places it at rank #22,285 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for anecdote, with forms such as "aencdote", "ancedote", and "aneccdote". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "antidote", "anecdotes", "anecdotal", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: Late 17ᵗʰ c., from French anecdote, from Ancient Greek ἀνέκδοτος (anékdotos, “accounts unpublished”), from ἀν- (an-, “not, un-”) + ἔκδοτος (ékdotos, “published”), from ἐκδίδωμι (ekdídōmi, “I publish”), from ἐκ- (ek-, “out”) + δίδωμι (dídōmi, “I give”). Virt… The correct English form is anecdote, spelled A-N-E-C-D-O-T-E.
Definition
- 1A short account of a real incident or person, often humorous or interesting.
- 2An account which supports an argument, but which is not supported by scientific or statistical analysis.
- 3A previously untold secret account of an incident.
Etymology
Late 17ᵗʰ c., from French anecdote, from Ancient Greek ἀνέκδοτος (anékdotos, “accounts unpublished”), from ἀν- (an-, “not, un-”) + ἔκδοτος (ékdotos, “published”), from ἐκδίδωμι (ekdídōmi, “I publish”), from ἐκ- (ek-, “out”) + δίδωμι (dídōmi, “I give”). Virtually identical cognates in other European languages – French anecdote, German Anekdote, Spanish anécdota, among others.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: aencdote,ancedote,aneccdote,anecddote,anecdoet,anecdotte,anecdtoe,anecodte,anedcote,annecdote,naecdote
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of anecdote - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "anecdote"?
What does "anecdote" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "anecdote"?
How do you pronounce "anecdote"?
What is the origin of the word "anecdote"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “anecdote”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-N-E-C-D-O-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈæn.ɪkˌdəʊt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “antidote” - see the side-by-side comparison. anecdote vs antidote
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.