argument

/ˈɑːɡjʊmənt/

//ˈɑːɡjʊmənt// noun

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

The verdict

“argument” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,282. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,282
frequency rank, English
35,202
“A” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A fact or statement used to support a proposition; a reason.

Corpus desk

Index EN-argument · argument · English

argument · rank #2,282 · 12 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,282
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 35,202
  • PHOTO-FINISH approximately

Nearest frequency peer: approximately (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “argument”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “argument” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

argument vs augment
75% similar
argument vs armament
75% similar
argument vs arguments
89% similar

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

Key facts for argument
PropertyValue
Headwordargument
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɑːɡjʊmənt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#2,282
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “argument” 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). argument 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 12 spelling variants around argument (IPA /ˈɑːɡjʊmənt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,282 among 35,202 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 15 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for argument, with forms such as "agrument", "arggument", and "argmuent". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "augment", "armament", "arguments", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Latin arguō Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-məntom Latin -mentum Latin argūmentumder. Anglo-Norman arguementbor. Middle English argument English argument From Middle English argument, from Anglo-Norman an… The correct English form is argument, spelled A-R-G-U-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A fact or statement used to support a proposition; a reason.
  2. 2
    A fact or statement used to support a proposition; a reason.
  3. 3
    A process of reasoning; argumentation.
  4. 4
    An abstract or summary of the content of a literary work such as a book, a poem or a major section such as a chapter, included in the work before the content itself; (figuratively) the contents themselves.
  5. 5
    A verbal dispute; a quarrel.
  6. 6
    Any dispute, altercation, or collision.
  7. 7
    Any of the phrases that bear a syntactic connection to the verb of a clause.
  8. 8
    The independent variable of a function.
  9. 9
    The phase of a complex number.
  10. 10
    A quantity on which the calculation of another quantity depends.
  11. 11
    A value, or a reference to a value, passed to a function.
  12. 12
    A parameter at a function call; an actual parameter, as opposed to a formal parameter.
  13. 13
    A matter in question; a business in hand.
  14. 14
    The subject matter of an artistic representation, discourse, or writing; a theme or topic.
  15. 15
    Evidence, proof; (countable) an item of such evidence or proof.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. There is no greater, at leaſt no more palpable and convincing Argument of the Exiſtence of a Deity than the admirable Art and Wiſdom that diſcovers itſelf in the make and conſtitution, the order and diſpoſition, the ends and uſes of all the parts and members of this ſtately fabrick of Heaven and Earth.
  2. Says Plowdon [i.e., Edmund Plowden], the whale so caught belongs to the King and Queen, “because of its superior excellence.” And by the soundest commentators this has ever been held a cogent argument in such matters.

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin arguō Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-məntom Latin -mentum Latin argūmentumder. Anglo-Norman arguementbor. Middle English argument English argument From Middle English argument, from Anglo-Norman and Old French arguement, from Latin argumentum. The English word is analysable as argue + -ment. Doublet of argumentum. Displaced native Old English racu and ġeflit.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • agrument
  • arggument
  • argmuent
  • arguemnt
  • argumennt
  • argumentt
  • argumetn
  • argumment
  • argumnet
  • arrgument
  • arugment
  • ragument

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

agrument2arggument1argmuent2arguemnt2argumennt1argumentt1argumetn2argumment1
Edit distance from "argument"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "argument"?
"argument" is spelled A-R-G-U-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɑːɡjʊmənt/.
What does "argument" mean?
As a noun, "argument" means: A fact or statement used to support a proposition; a reason.
What words are commonly confused with "argument"?
"argument" is commonly confused with "augment", "armament", "arguments". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "argument"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "argument" is /ˈɑːɡjʊmənt/. 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 "argument"?
Etymology tree Latin arguō Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-məntom Latin -mentum Latin argūmentumder. Anglo-Norman arguementbor. Middle English argument English argument From Middle English argument, from Anglo... 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 "argument", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

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