attempt

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

/əˈtɛmpt/

//əˈtɛmpt// verb

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

The verdict

“attempt” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,476 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,476
frequency rank, English: 7
letters: 9
tracked misspellings: 3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To try.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

attempt vs attest

71% similar

attempt vs attempts

88% similar

attempt vs attempted

78% similar

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

Key facts for attempt
Property	Value
Headword	attempt
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/əˈtɛmpt/
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#1,476
Misspellings tracked	9
Confusable pairs	3
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “attempt” 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). attempt lands here:

#1,476

#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 attempt is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈtɛmpt/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,476 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for attempt, with forms such as "atempt", "atetmpt", and "attemmpt". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "attest", "attempts", "attempted", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Latin temptō Latin attemptōder. Old French atempterbor. Middle English attempten English attempt Late 14th century, as Middle English attempten, from Old French atempter, … The correct English form is attempt, spelled A-T-T-E-M-P-T.

Definition

1
To try.
2
To try to move, by entreaty, by afflictions, or by temptations; to tempt.
3
To try to win, subdue, or overcome.
4
To attack; to make an effort or attack upon; to try to take by force.
5
To make a substantial but unsuccessful effort (to commit a crime).

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Latin temptō Latin attemptōder. Old French atempterbor. Middle English attempten English attempt Late 14th century, as Middle English attempten, from Old French atempter, from Latin attemptō (“to try, solicit”), from ad- (“to”) + temptō; see tempt. The noun is from the 1530s, the sense "an assault on somebody's life, assassination attempt" (French attentat) is from 1580.

Synonyms

take a stab at take a run at assay essay seek

This word in other languages

intentar(Español)tenter(Français)versuchen(Deutsch)provar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: atempt,atetmpt,attemmpt,attemppt,attemptt,attemtp,attepmt,attmept,tatempt

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of attempt - 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 "attempt"

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 "attempt"?

"attempt" is spelled A-T-T-E-M-P-T. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈtɛmpt/.

What does "attempt" mean?

As a verb, "attempt" means: To try.

What words are commonly confused with "attempt"?

"attempt" is commonly confused with "attest", "attempts", "attempted". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "attempt"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "attempt" is /əˈtɛmpt/. 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 "attempt"?

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 “attempt”

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

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