artificial

/ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.l̩/

//ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.l̩// adj

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

"artificial" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“artificial” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,737 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#4,737
frequency rank, English
10
letters
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Man-made; made by humans; of artifice.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

artificial vs artificially
83% similar

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

Key facts for artificial
PropertyValue
Headwordartificial
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.l̩/
Letters10
Frequency rank#4,737
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “artificial” 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). artificial 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 artificial is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.l̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,737 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for artificial, with forms such as "aritficial", "arrtificial", and "artfiicial". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "artificially", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English artificial (“man-made”) via Old French (modern French artificiel), from Latin artificiālis from artificium (“skill”), from artifex, from ars (“skill”), and -fex, from facere (“to make”). Displaced native Old English cræftlīċ. The correct English form is artificial, spelled A-R-T-I-F-I-C-I-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Man-made; made by humans; of artifice.
  2. 2
    Insincere; fake, forced, or feigned.
  3. 3
    Not natural or normal: imposed arbitrarily or without regard to the specifics or normal circumstances of a person, a situation, etc.
  4. 4
    Based on characteristics useful for identification, without regard for the formal differences used in classification.
  5. 5
    Conveying some meaning other than the actual contents of one's hand.

Etymology

From Middle English artificial (“man-made”) via Old French (modern French artificiel), from Latin artificiālis from artificium (“skill”), from artifex, from ars (“skill”), and -fex, from facere (“to make”). Displaced native Old English cræftlīċ.

Synonyms

artificiousfactitious

Antonyms

antonym(s) of

This word in other languages

artificial(Español)artificiel(Français)künstlich(Deutsch)artificial(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aritficial,arrtificial,artfiicial,artifciial,artifficial,artificail,artificcial,artificiall,artificila,artifiical,artiifcial,arttificial,atrificial,ratificial

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aritficial2arrtificial1artfiicial2artifciial2artifficial1artificail2artificcial1artificiall1
Edit distance from "artificial"

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 "artificial"?
"artificial" is spelled A-R-T-I-F-I-C-I-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.l̩/.
What does "artificial" mean?
As an adjective, "artificial" means: Man-made; made by humans; of artifice.
What words are commonly confused with "artificial"?
"artificial" is commonly confused with "artificially". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "artificial"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "artificial" is /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.l̩/. 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 "artificial"?
From Middle English artificial (“man-made”) via Old French (modern French artificiel), from Latin artificiālis from artificium (“skill”), from artifex, from ars (“skill”), and -fex, from facere (“to make”). Displaced native Old English cræftlīċ. 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 “artificial”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-R-T-I-F-I-C-I-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌɑː.tɪˈfɪʃ.l̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “artificially” - see the side-by-side comparison. artificial vs artificially
  • 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