antibody

/ˈæn.tiˌbɒd.i/

//ˈæn.tiˌbɒd.i// noun

"antibody" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“antibody” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,748 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#15,748
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A protein produced by B-lymphocytes that binds to a specific antigen.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

antibody vs anybody
75% similar

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

Key facts for antibody
PropertyValue
Headwordantibody
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæn.tiˌbɒd.i/
Letters8
Frequency rank#15,748
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “antibody” 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). antibody 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 antibody is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈæn.tiˌbɒd.i/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,748 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A protein produced by B-lymphocytes that binds to a specific antigen.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for antibody, with forms such as "anitbody", "anntibody", and "antbiody". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "anybody", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From anti- + body, a calque of German Antikörper. The correct English form is antibody, spelled A-N-T-I-B-O-D-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A protein produced by B-lymphocytes that binds to a specific antigen.

Etymology

From anti- + body, a calque of German Antikörper.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: anitbody,anntibody,antbiody,antibbody,antibdoy,antiboddy,antibodyy,antiboyd,antiobdy,anttibody,atnibody,natibody

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of antibody - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

anitbody2anntibody1antbiody2antibbody1antibdoy2antiboddy1antibodyy1antiboyd2
Edit distance from "antibody"

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 "antibody"?
"antibody" is spelled A-N-T-I-B-O-D-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæn.tiˌbɒd.i/.
What does "antibody" mean?
As a noun, "antibody" means: A protein produced by B-lymphocytes that binds to a specific antigen.
What words are commonly confused with "antibody"?
"antibody" is commonly confused with "anybody". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "antibody"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "antibody" is /ˈæn.tiˌbɒd.i/. 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 "antibody"?
From anti- + body, a calque of German Antikörper. 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 “antibody”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-N-T-I-B-O-D-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈæn.tiˌbɒd.i/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “anybody” - see the side-by-side comparison. antibody vs anybody
  • 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