arthritis

/ɑːˈθɹ(a)ɪtɪs/

//ɑːˈθɹ(a)ɪtɪs// noun

"arthritis" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“arthritis” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,727 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,727
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Inflammation of a joint or joints causing pain and/or disability, swelling and stiffness, and due to various causes such as infection, trauma, degenerative changes or metabolic disorders: any of se...

Key facts for arthritis
PropertyValue
Headwordarthritis
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɑːˈθɹ(a)ɪtɪs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#12,727
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “arthritis” 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). arthritis 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 arthritis is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɑːˈθɹ(a)ɪtɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,727 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Inflammation of a joint or joints causing pain and/or disability, swelling and stiffness, and due to various causes such as infection, trauma, degenerative changes or metabolic disorders: any of se...".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for arthritis, with forms such as "arhtritis", "arrthritis", and "arthhritis". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin arthrītis, from Ancient Greek ἀρθρῖτις (arthrîtis, “joint-disease, gout”), from ἄρθρον (árthron, “a joint”). By surface analysis, arthr- + -itis. The correct English form is arthritis, spelled A-R-T-H-R-I-T-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Inflammation of a joint or joints causing pain and/or disability, swelling and stiffness, and due to various causes such as infection, trauma, degenerative changes or metabolic disorders: any of several disease entities.

Etymology

From Latin arthrītis, from Ancient Greek ἀρθρῖτις (arthrîtis, “joint-disease, gout”), from ἄρθρον (árthron, “a joint”). By surface analysis, arthr- + -itis.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: arhtritis,arrthritis,arthhritis,arthirtis,arthriits,arthritiss,arthritsi,arthrittis,arthrritis,arthrtiis,artrhitis,artthritis,atrhritis,rathritis

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

arhtritis2arrthritis1arthhritis1arthirtis2arthriits2arthritiss1arthritsi2arthrittis1
Edit distance from "arthritis"

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 "arthritis"?
"arthritis" is spelled A-R-T-H-R-I-T-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ɑːˈθɹ(a)ɪtɪs/.
What does "arthritis" mean?
As a noun, "arthritis" means: Inflammation of a joint or joints causing pain and/or disability, swelling and stiffness, and due to various causes such as infection, trauma, degenerative changes or metabolic disorders: any of se...
What are common misspellings of "arthritis"?
Common misspellings include "arhtritis", "arrthritis", "arthhritis", "arthirtis", "arthriits". The correct spelling is "arthritis".
How do you pronounce "arthritis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "arthritis" is /ɑːˈθɹ(a)ɪtɪs/. 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 "arthritis"?
From Latin arthrītis, from Ancient Greek ἀρθρῖτις (arthrîtis, “joint-disease, gout”), from ἄρθρον (árthron, “a joint”). By surface analysis, arthr- + -itis. 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 “arthritis”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-R-T-H-R-I-T-I-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɑːˈθɹ(a)ɪtɪs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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