artifice

/ˈɑː(ɹ)tɪfɪs/

//ˈɑː(ɹ)tɪfɪs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“artifice” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #48,068. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#48,068
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A crafty but underhanded deception.

Corpus desk

Index EN-artifice · artifice · English

artifice · rank #48,068 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #48,068
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Arjuna

Nearest frequency peer: Arjuna (-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 “artifice”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “artifice” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

artifice vs artifact
75% similar

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

Key facts for artifice
PropertyValue
Headwordartifice
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɑː(ɹ)tɪfɪs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#48,068
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “artifice”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).artificelands 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 “Arjuna” (#48,067), “Ariadne” (#48,066), “Ashburn” (#48,070). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “artifice” is #48,068. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around artifice (IPA /ˈɑː(ɹ)tɪfɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #48,068 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for artifice, with forms such as "aritfice", "arrtifice", and "artfiice". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "artifact", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French artifice, from Latin artificium. The correct English form is artifice, spelled A-R-T-I-F-I-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A crafty but underhanded deception.
  2. 2
    A trick played out as an ingenious, but artful, ruse.
  3. 3
    A strategic maneuver that uses some clever means to avoid detection or capture.
  4. 4
    A tactical move to gain advantage.
  5. 5
    Something made with technical skill; a contrivance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The notion that consequence can be as easily managed as PR is the ultimate artifice and the ultimate delusion.
  2. The heightened worlds of darkly comedic satire and soapy high-school romance make it easy enough to roll with unrealistic casting choices—and that goes for stage musicals, too, where some level of artifice is built into the format.

Etymology

From Middle French artifice, from Latin artificium.

This word in other languages

artificio(Español)artifice(Français)Kunstgriff(Deutsch)artifício(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aritfice
  • arrtifice
  • artfiice
  • artifcie
  • artiffice
  • artificce
  • artifiec
  • artiifce
  • arttifice
  • atrifice
  • ratifice

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aritfice2arrtifice1artfiice2artifcie2artiffice1artificce1artifiec2artiifce2
Edit distance from "artifice"

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 "artifice"?
"artifice" is spelled A-R-T-I-F-I-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɑː(ɹ)tɪfɪs/.
What does "artifice" mean?
As a noun, "artifice" means: A crafty but underhanded deception.
What words are commonly confused with "artifice"?
"artifice" is commonly confused with "artifact". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "artifice"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "artifice" is /ˈɑː(ɹ)tɪfɪs/. 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 "artifice"?
From Middle French artifice, from Latin artificium. 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 "artifice", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Algernon#48,051adjuvant#48,043accruing#48,041bookworm#48,096

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Ashburn11 variantsassistive11 variantsanchovy11 variantsbatshit11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list