attic

/ˈætɪk/

//ˈætɪk// noun

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

"attic" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“attic” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,369 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,369
frequency rank, English
5
letters
5
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The space, often unfinished and with sloped walls, directly below the roof in the uppermost part of a house or other building, generally used for storage or habitation.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

attic vs Aztec
40% similar
attic vs attire
67% similar
attic vs Attila
50% similar

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

Key facts for attic
PropertyValue
Headwordattic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈætɪk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#12,369
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “attic” 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). attic 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 attic is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈætɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,369 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for attic, with forms such as "atic", "atitc", and "attci". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 18 confusable-pair relationships, "Aztec", "attire", "Attila", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From the practice of decorating the top storey of building facades in the Attic architectural style. From French attique, from Latin atticus, from Ancient Greek Ἀττικός (Attikós). The correct English form is attic, spelled A-T-T-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    The space, often unfinished and with sloped walls, directly below the roof in the uppermost part of a house or other building, generally used for storage or habitation.
  2. 2
    A storey or a parapet above the cornice of a classical façade, often decorated.
  3. 3
    A person's head or brain.

Etymology

From the practice of decorating the top storey of building facades in the Attic architectural style. From French attique, from Latin atticus, from Ancient Greek Ἀττικός (Attikós).

Synonyms

garrettop floor

This word in other languages

buhardilla(Español)grenier(Français)Dachgeschoss(Deutsch)sótão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: atic,atitc,attci,atticc,tatic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of attic - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

atic1atitc2attci2atticc1tatic2
Edit distance from "attic"

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 "attic"?
"attic" is spelled A-T-T-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈætɪk/.
What does "attic" mean?
As a noun, "attic" means: The space, often unfinished and with sloped walls, directly below the roof in the uppermost part of a house or other building, generally used for storage or habitation.
What words are commonly confused with "attic"?
"attic" is commonly confused with "Aztec", "attire", "Attila". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "attic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "attic" is /ˈætɪk/. 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 "attic"?
From the practice of decorating the top storey of building facades in the Attic architectural style. From French attique, from Latin atticus, from Ancient Greek Ἀττικός (Attikós). 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 “attic”

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

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