# athlete

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈæθ.liːt/ · frequency rank #5,936

## Definitions
1. A participant in any of a group of sporting activities including track and field, road running, cross country running and racewalking.
2. A person who actively participates in physical sports, especially with great skill; a sportsperson.
3. An exceptionally physically fit person.

## Etymology
From Middle English athlete, from Latin āthlēta (and probably also partly from Middle French athlete), from Ancient Greek ἀθλητής (athlētḗs), from ἀθλέω (athléō, “compete for a prize”), from ἆθλον (âthlon, “prize”) or ἆθλος (âthlos, “competition”).

## Easily confused with
- **athletic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/athlete-vs-athletic)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ahtlete`, `athelte`, `athhlete`, `athleet`, `athlette`, `athllete`, `athltee`, `atlhete`, `atthlete`, `tahlete`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/athlete