Apache
/əˈpæ.t͡ʃi/
"apache" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“Apache” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,065 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.
- #14,065
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 8
- tracked misspellings
- 4
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The group of languages used by any of several Athabascan-speaking peoples of the American southwest excluding Navajo, i.e. Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Plains Apache, or Western Apache.
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 | Apache |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Proper noun |
| IPA | /əˈpæ.t͡ʃi/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #14,065 |
| Misspellings tracked | 8 |
| Confusable pairs | 4 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “Apache” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for Apache is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈpæ.t͡ʃi/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,065 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 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for Apache, with forms such as "aapche", "apacche", and "apaceh". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "apathy", "attaché", "ache", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From American Spanish apache, most likely from Zuni ʔa·paču (“Navajos”), or possibly from the Yavapai word ʔpačə, meaning "people". The web server software was named to honor the Apache people, although much has been made of the fact that its design was "pa… The correct English form is Apache, spelled A-P-A-C-H-E.
Definition
- 1The group of languages used by any of several Athabascan-speaking peoples of the American southwest excluding Navajo, i.e. Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Plains Apache, or Western Apache.
- 2A town in Oklahoma, United States. See Apache, Oklahoma.
- 3Apache HTTP Server, a widely used open source web server software suite.
Etymology
From American Spanish apache, most likely from Zuni ʔa·paču (“Navajos”), or possibly from the Yavapai word ʔpačə, meaning "people". The web server software was named to honor the Apache people, although much has been made of the fact that its design was "patchy" (constructed by assembling software patches). See Apache HTTP Server § Name. The Parisian gangsters were named after the American tribe because of their aggressive reputation.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: aapche,apacche,apaceh,apachhe,apahce,apcahe,appache,paache
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Apache - 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
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Using “Apache”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-P-A-C-H-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /əˈpæ.t͡ʃi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “apathy” - see the side-by-side comparison. Apache vs apathy
- 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.