anniversary

/ˌæn.ɪˈvɜː.s(ə.)ɹi/

//ˌæn.ɪˈvɜː.s(ə.)ɹi// noun

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

"anniversary" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“anniversary” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,817. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,817
frequency rank, English
35,202
“A” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A day that is an exact number of years (to the day) since a given significant event occurred. Often preceded by an ordinal number indicating the number of years.

Key facts for anniversary
PropertyValue
Headwordanniversary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌæn.ɪˈvɜː.s(ə.)ɹi/
Letters11
Frequency rank#2,817
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “anniversary” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around anniversary (IPA /ˌæn.ɪˈvɜː.s(ə.)ɹi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,817 among 35,202 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for anniversary, with forms such as "aninversary", "aniversary", and "annievrsary". 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 entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English anniversary, from Medieval Latin anniversāria (diēs), anniversārium, from anniversārius (“yearly”), from annus (“year”) + versus, past participle of vertere (“to turn”). The correct English form is anniversary, spelled A-N-N-I-V-E-R-S-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A day that is an exact number of years (to the day) since a given significant event occurred. Often preceded by an ordinal number indicating the number of years.
  2. 2
    A day that is an exact number of years (to the day) since a given significant event occurred. Often preceded by an ordinal number indicating the number of years.
  3. 3
    A day subsequent in time to a given event by some significant period other than a year (especially as prefixed by the amount of time in question).

Etymology

From Middle English anniversary, from Medieval Latin anniversāria (diēs), anniversārium, from anniversārius (“yearly”), from annus (“year”) + versus, past participle of vertere (“to turn”).

Synonyms

yeardayyeartide

This word in other languages

aniversario(Español)anniversaire(Français)Jahrestag(Deutsch)aniversário(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aninversary
  • aniversary
  • annievrsary
  • anniverasry
  • anniverrsary
  • anniversarry
  • anniversaryy
  • anniversayr
  • anniversray
  • anniverssary
  • annivesrary
  • annivresary
  • annivversary
  • annviersary
  • naniversary

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aninversary2aniversary1annievrsary2anniverasry2anniverrsary1anniversarry1anniversaryy1anniversayr2
Edit distance from "anniversary"

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 "anniversary"?
"anniversary" is spelled A-N-N-I-V-E-R-S-A-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌæn.ɪˈvɜː.s(ə.)ɹi/.
What does "anniversary" mean?
As a noun, "anniversary" means: A day that is an exact number of years (to the day) since a given significant event occurred. Often preceded by an ordinal number indicating the number of years.
What are common misspellings of "anniversary"?
Common misspellings include "aninversary", "aniversary", "annievrsary", "anniverasry", "anniverrsary". The correct spelling is "anniversary".
How do you pronounce "anniversary"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "anniversary" is /ˌæn.ɪˈvɜː.s(ə.)ɹi/. 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 "anniversary"?
From Middle English anniversary, from Medieval Latin anniversāria (diēs), anniversārium, from anniversārius (“yearly”), from annus (“year”) + versus, past participle of vertere (“to turn”). 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.

Using “anniversary”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-N-N-I-V-E-R-S-A-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌæn.ɪˈvɜː.s(ə.)ɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list