annuity

/əˈn(j)uɪti/

//əˈn(j)uɪti// noun

"annuity" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“annuity” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,238 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#18,238
frequency rank, English
7
letters
8
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A right to receive amounts of money regularly over a certain fixed period, in perpetuity, or, especially, over the remaining life or lives of one or more beneficiaries.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

annuity vs acuity
71% similar

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

Key facts for annuity
PropertyValue
Headwordannuity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈn(j)uɪti/
Letters7
Frequency rank#18,238
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “annuity” 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). annuity lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for annuity is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈn(j)uɪti/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,238 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A right to receive amounts of money regularly over a certain fixed period, in perpetuity, or, especially, over the remaining life or lives of one or more beneficiaries.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for annuity, with forms such as "anniuty", "annuitty", and "annuityy". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "acuity", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French annuité, from Medieval Latin annuitās, from Latin annuus (“annual”). Cf. annuality. The correct English form is annuity, spelled A-N-N-U-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A right to receive amounts of money regularly over a certain fixed period, in perpetuity, or, especially, over the remaining life or lives of one or more beneficiaries.

Etymology

From French annuité, from Medieval Latin annuitās, from Latin annuus (“annual”). Cf. annuality.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: anniuty,annuitty,annuityy,annuiyt,annutiy,anuity,anunity,nanuity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of annuity - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

anniuty2annuitty1annuityy1annuiyt2annutiy2anuity1anunity2nanuity2
Edit distance from "annuity"

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 "annuity"?
"annuity" is spelled A-N-N-U-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈn(j)uɪti/.
What does "annuity" mean?
As a noun, "annuity" means: A right to receive amounts of money regularly over a certain fixed period, in perpetuity, or, especially, over the remaining life or lives of one or more beneficiaries.
What words are commonly confused with "annuity"?
"annuity" is commonly confused with "acuity". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "annuity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "annuity" is /əˈn(j)uɪti/. 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 "annuity"?
From French annuité, from Medieval Latin annuitās, from Latin annuus (“annual”). Cf. annuality. 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 “annuity”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-N-N-U-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈn(j)uɪti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “acuity” - see the side-by-side comparison. annuity vs acuity
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list