attitude

/ˈætɪˌt͡ʃuːd/

//ˈætɪˌt͡ʃuːd// noun

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

"attitude" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“attitude” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,568 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,568
frequency rank, English
8
letters
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The position of the body or way of carrying oneself.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

attitude vs altitude
88% similar
attitude vs aptitude
88% similar

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

Key facts for attitude
PropertyValue
Headwordattitude
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈætɪˌt͡ʃuːd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#2,568
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “attitude” 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). attitude 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 attitude is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈætɪˌt͡ʃuːd/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,568 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 attitude, with forms such as "atittude", "atitude", and "attitdue". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "altitude", "aptitude", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French attitude, from Italian attitudine (“attitude, aptness”), from Medieval Latin aptitūdō (“aptitude”) and actitūdō (“acting, posture”), from Latin aptō and actitō. Doublet of aptitude. The correct English form is attitude, spelled A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The position of the body or way of carrying oneself.
  2. 2
    Disposition or state of mind.
  3. 3
    Unpleasant behavior.
  4. 4
    The orientation of a vehicle or other object relative to the horizon, direction of motion, other objects, etc.
  5. 5
    A position similar to arabesque, but with the raised leg bent at the knee.

Etymology

From French attitude, from Italian attitudine (“attitude, aptness”), from Medieval Latin aptitūdō (“aptitude”) and actitūdō (“acting, posture”), from Latin aptō and actitō. Doublet of aptitude.

This word in other languages

postura(Español)posture(Français)Haltung(Deutsch)postura(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: atittude,atitude,attitdue,attittude,attitudde,attitued,attiutde,atttiude,tatitude

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

atittude2atitude1attitdue2attittude1attitudde1attitued2attiutde2atttiude2
Edit distance from "attitude"

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 "attitude"?
"attitude" is spelled A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈætɪˌt͡ʃuːd/.
What does "attitude" mean?
As a noun, "attitude" means: The position of the body or way of carrying oneself.
What words are commonly confused with "attitude"?
"attitude" is commonly confused with "altitude", "aptitude". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "attitude"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "attitude" is /ˈætɪˌt͡ʃuːd/. 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 "attitude"?
From French attitude, from Italian attitudine (“attitude, aptness”), from Medieval Latin aptitūdō (“aptitude”) and actitūdō (“acting, posture”), from Latin aptō and actitō. Doublet of aptitude. 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 “attitude”

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

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