atrocious

/əˈtɹəʊ.ʃəs/

//əˈtɹəʊ.ʃəs// adj

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

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

The verdict

“atrocious” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,088. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,088
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Frightful, evil, cruel, or monstrous.

Corpus desk

Index EN-atrocious · atrocious · English

atrocious · rank #24,088 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #24,088
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH asymmetric

Nearest frequency peer: asymmetric (-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 “atrocious”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “atrocious” 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
Key facts for atrocious
PropertyValue
Headwordatrocious
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əˈtɹəʊ.ʃəs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#24,088
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “atrocious”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).atrociouslands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “asymmetric” (#24,087), “autobiographical” (#24,089), “Artie” (#24,086). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “atrocious” is #24,088. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around atrocious (IPA /əˈtɹəʊ.ʃəs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #24,088 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for atrocious, with forms such as "artocious", "atorcious", and "atrcoious". 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. 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 atrōx (“cruel, fierce, frightful”) + -ious. The correct English form is atrocious, spelled A-T-R-O-C-I-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Frightful, evil, cruel, or monstrous.
  2. 2
    Offensive or heinous.
  3. 3
    Very bad; abominable, disgusting.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Prisons have been the sites of atrocious mistreatment of prisoners.
  2. I had resolved in my own mind, that to create another like the fiend I had first made would be an act of the basest and most atrocious selfishness; and I banished from my mind every thought that could lead to a different conclusion.

Etymology

From Latin atrōx (“cruel, fierce, frightful”) + -ious.

Synonyms

abominabledreadfulheinoushorribleterrible

Antonyms

excellentsuperbwonderful

This word in other languages

atroz(Español)atroce(Français)grauenhaft(Deutsch)atroz(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • artocious
  • atorcious
  • atrcoious
  • atroccious
  • atrociosu
  • atrociouss
  • atrociuos
  • atrocoius
  • atroicous
  • atrrocious
  • attrocious
  • tarocious

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

artocious2atorcious2atrcoious2atroccious1atrociosu2atrociouss1atrociuos2atrocoius2
Edit distance from "atrocious"

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 "atrocious"?
"atrocious" is spelled A-T-R-O-C-I-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈtɹəʊ.ʃəs/.
What does "atrocious" mean?
As an adjective, "atrocious" means: Frightful, evil, cruel, or monstrous.
What are common misspellings of "atrocious"?
Common misspellings include "artocious", "atorcious", "atrcoious", "atroccious", "atrociosu". The correct spelling is "atrocious".
How do you pronounce "atrocious"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "atrocious" is /əˈtɹəʊ.ʃəs/. 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 "atrocious"?
From Latin atrōx (“cruel, fierce, frightful”) + -ious. 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 "atrocious", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

backstory#24,092briefings#24,100closeness#24,115Coachella#24,117

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

adhesion12 variantschromium12 variantsXinjiang12 variantsclaimant12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list