anthropology

/ˌænθɹəˈpɒləd͡ʒi/

//ˌænθɹəˈpɒləd͡ʒi// noun

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

"anthropology" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“anthropology” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,004. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,004
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
19
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The scientific study of humans, systematically describing the ethnographic, linguistic, archaeological, and evolutionary dimensions of humanity using a holistic methodological framework.

Corpus desk

Index EN-anthropology · anthropology · English

anthropology · rank #12,004 · 19 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,004
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 19 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Alec

Nearest frequency peer: Alec (-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 “anthropology”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “anthropology” 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 anthropology
PropertyValue
Headwordanthropology
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌænθɹəˈpɒləd͡ʒi/
Letters12
Frequency rank#12,004
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “anthropology”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Alec” (#12,003), “acknowledging” (#12,002), “artery” (#12,006). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “anthropology” is #12,004. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 19 spelling variants around anthropology (IPA /ˌænθɹəˈpɒləd͡ʒi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,004 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for anthropology, with forms such as "anhtropology", "annthropology", and "anthhropology". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From New Latin anthropologia, from Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos, “human, mankind”) + -λογία (-logía). By surface analysis, anthropo- + -logy. The correct English form is anthropology, spelled A-N-T-H-R-O-P-O-L-O-G-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The scientific study of humans, systematically describing the ethnographic, linguistic, archaeological, and evolutionary dimensions of humanity using a holistic methodological framework.
  2. 2
    The study of humanity in its relation to the divine, as in Christian anthropology.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. According to anthropology, there are six basic patterns of kinship terminology or kin naming systems.
  2. As another man has an ardour for art or music, or natural science, Mr. Pen said that anthropology was his favourite pursuit; and had his eyes always eagerly open to its infinite varieties and beauties: contemplating with an unfailing delight all specimens of it in all places to which he resorted […]

Etymology

From New Latin anthropologia, from Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos, “human, mankind”) + -λογία (-logía). By surface analysis, anthropo- + -logy.

Synonyms

anthropology

This word in other languages

antropología(Español)anthropologie(Français)Anthropologie(Deutsch)antropologia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • anhtropology
  • annthropology
  • anthhropology
  • anthorpology
  • anthrooplogy
  • anthroploogy
  • anthropolgoy
  • anthropollogy
  • anthropologgy
  • anthropologyy
  • anthropoloyg
  • anthropoolgy
  • anthroppology
  • anthrpoology
  • anthrropology
  • antrhopology
  • antthropology
  • atnhropology
  • nathropology

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

anhtropology2annthropology1anthhropology1anthorpology2anthrooplogy2anthroploogy2anthropolgoy2anthropollogy1
Edit distance from "anthropology"

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 "anthropology"?
"anthropology" is spelled A-N-T-H-R-O-P-O-L-O-G-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌænθɹəˈpɒləd͡ʒi/.
What does "anthropology" mean?
As a noun, "anthropology" means: The scientific study of humans, systematically describing the ethnographic, linguistic, archaeological, and evolutionary dimensions of humanity using a holistic methodological framework.
What are common misspellings of "anthropology"?
Common misspellings include "anhtropology", "annthropology", "anthhropology", "anthorpology", "anthrooplogy". The correct spelling is "anthropology".
How do you pronounce "anthropology"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "anthropology" is /ˌænθɹəˈpɒləd͡ʒi/. 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 "anthropology"?
From New Latin anthropologia, from Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos, “human, mankind”) + -λογία (-logía). By surface analysis, anthropo- + -logy. 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 "anthropology", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

storytelling#11,978southeastern#11,972indefinitely#12,079optimization#11,927

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (19 here; floor ≥5).

statistically19 variantsdictatorship19 variantsirresponsible19 variantsnortheastern19 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list