atrocity

Name: atrocity, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/əˈtɹɒsɪti/

//əˈtɹɒsɪti// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“atrocity” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,727. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,727
frequency rank, English: 35,202
“A” headwords: 12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An extremely cruel act; a horrid act of injustice.

Key facts for atrocity
Property	Value
Headword	atrocity
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/əˈtɹɒsɪti/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#27,727
Misspellings tracked	12
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “atrocity” 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). atrocity lands here:

#27,727

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around atrocity (IPA /əˈtɹɒsɪti/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #27,727 among 35,202 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for atrocity, with forms such as "artocity", "atorcity", and "atrcoity". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French atrocité, from Latin atrōcitātem, from atrox (“terrible, cruel”) + -tās, from āter (“matte black”). The correct English form is atrocity, spelled A-T-R-O-C-I-T-Y.

Definition

1
An extremely cruel act; a horrid act of injustice.
2
The quality or state of being atrocious; enormous wickedness; extreme criminality or cruelty.
3
An object considered to be extremely unattractive or undesirable.

Etymology

From Middle French atrocité, from Latin atrōcitātem, from atrox (“terrible, cruel”) + -tās, from āter (“matte black”).

Synonyms

atrocity depravity infamy iniquity outrage turpitude wickedness wrong

This word in other languages

atrocité(Français)Grausamkeit(Deutsch)atrocidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: artocity,atorcity,atrcoity,atroccity,atrocitty,atrocityy,atrociyt,atroctiy,atroicty,atrrocity,attrocity,tarocity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "atrocity"

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 "atrocity"?

"atrocity" is spelled A-T-R-O-C-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈtɹɒsɪti/.

What does "atrocity" mean?

As a noun, "atrocity" means: An extremely cruel act; a horrid act of injustice.

What are common misspellings of "atrocity"?

Common misspellings include "artocity", "atorcity", "atrcoity", "atroccity", "atrocitty". The correct spelling is "atrocity".

How do you pronounce "atrocity"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "atrocity" is /əˈtɹɒsɪti/. 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 "atrocity"?

From Middle French atrocité, from Latin atrōcitātem, from atrox (“terrible, cruel”) + -tās, from āter (“matte black”). 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 “atrocity”

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

The one correct English spelling is A-T-R-O-C-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /əˈtɹɒsɪti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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.