astute

/əsˈtjuːt/

//əsˈtjuːt// adj

"astute" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“astute” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,284. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,284
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Quickly and critically discerning.

Corpus desk

Index EN-astute · astute · English

astute · rank #25,284 · 8 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,284
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Astoria

Nearest frequency peer: Astoria (-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 “astute”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “astute” 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 September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

astute vs acute
67% similar
astute vs assume
67% similar
astute vs assure
67% similar

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

Key facts for astute
PropertyValue
Headwordastute
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əsˈtjuːt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#25,284
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “astute” 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).astute lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around astute (IPA /əsˈtjuːt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #25,284 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for astute, with forms such as "asstute", "asttue", and "asttute". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "acute", "assume", "assure", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin astūtus, from astus (“craft”). The correct English form is astute, spelled A-S-T-U-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Quickly and critically discerning.
  2. 2
    Shrewd or crafty.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. astute analysis
  2. astute observation

Etymology

From Latin astūtus, from astus (“craft”).

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • asstute
  • asttue
  • asttute
  • astuet
  • astutte
  • asutte
  • atsute
  • satute

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

asstute1asttue2asttute1astuet2astutte1asutte2atsute2satute2
Edit distance from "astute"

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 September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "astute"?
"astute" is spelled A-S-T-U-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əsˈtjuːt/.
What does "astute" mean?
As an adjective, "astute" means: Quickly and critically discerning.
What words are commonly confused with "astute"?
"astute" is commonly confused with "acute", "assume", "assure". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "astute"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "astute" is /əsˈtjuːt/. 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 "astute"?
From Latin astūtus, from astus (“craft”). 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 "astute", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

What to do next

You've looked up "astute". Here's where to go from here.

  • "astute" maps to 3 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "acute". View pair
  • 8 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #25,284 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "A" letter cohort. A–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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