attainment

/əˈteɪnmənt/

//əˈteɪnmənt// noun

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

The verdict

“attainment” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #23,750 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#23,750
frequency rank, English
10
letters
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of attaining; the act of arriving at or reaching; the act of obtaining by exertion or effort.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

attainment vs attachment
80% similar

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

Key facts for attainment
PropertyValue
Headwordattainment
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈteɪnmənt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#23,750
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “attainment” 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). attainment 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 attainment is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈteɪnmənt/. Corpus data places it at rank #23,750 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for attainment, with forms such as "atainment", "atatinment", and "attaimnent". 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. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "attachment", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From attain + -ment; compare Old French ataignement. The correct English form is attainment, spelled A-T-T-A-I-N-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of attaining; the act of arriving at or reaching; the act of obtaining by exertion or effort.
  2. 2
    That which is attained, or obtained by exertion.

Etymology

From attain + -ment; compare Old French ataignement.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: atainment,atatinment,attaimnent,attainemnt,attainmennt,attainmentt,attainmetn,attainmment,attainmnet,attainnment,attaniment,attianment,tatainment

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

atainment1atatinment2attaimnent2attainemnt2attainmennt1attainmentt1attainmetn2attainmment1
Edit distance from "attainment"

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 "attainment"?
"attainment" is spelled A-T-T-A-I-N-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈteɪnmənt/.
What does "attainment" mean?
As a noun, "attainment" means: The act of attaining; the act of arriving at or reaching; the act of obtaining by exertion or effort.
What words are commonly confused with "attainment"?
"attainment" is commonly confused with "attachment". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "attainment"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "attainment" is /əˈteɪnmənt/. 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 "attainment"?
From attain + -ment; compare Old French ataignement. 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 “attainment”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-T-T-A-I-N-M-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈteɪnmənt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “attachment” - see the side-by-side comparison. attainment vs attachment
  • 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