autarky
/ˈɔːtəki/
"autarky" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“autarky” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A personal condition or state of self-reliance; independence.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | autarky |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈɔːtəki/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “autarky” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for autarky is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɔːtəki/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
autarky has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Ancient Greek αὐτᾰ́ρκειᾰ (autắrkeiă, “independence, self-sufficiency, autarky; satisfaction with one’s resources, contentment”) + English -y (suffix forming abstract nouns denoting a condition, quality, or state). Αὐτᾰ́ρκειᾰ (Autắrkeiă) is der… The correct English form is autarky, spelled A-U-T-A-R-K-Y.
Definition
- 1A personal condition or state of self-reliance; independence.
- 2(A policy of) national economic self-sufficiency, aimed at ending reliance on foreign imports to sustain a domestic economy.
- 3A self-sufficient country or region which is not dependent on international trade to function economically.
Etymology
Borrowed from Ancient Greek αὐτᾰ́ρκειᾰ (autắrkeiă, “independence, self-sufficiency, autarky; satisfaction with one’s resources, contentment”) + English -y (suffix forming abstract nouns denoting a condition, quality, or state). Αὐτᾰ́ρκειᾰ (Autắrkeiă) is derived from αὐτάρκης (autárkēs, “self-sufficient; content with what one has”) + -ειᾰ (-eiă, suffix forming feminine nouns); while αὐτάρκης (autárkēs) is from αὐτο- (auto-, prefix meaning ‘self’) + ᾰ̓ρκέω (ărkéō, “to be enough for, satisfy, suffice; (passive) to be satisfied with”) (from Proto-Indo-European *h₂erk- (“to guard, protect; to hold; to lock”)) + -ης (-ēs, suffix forming third-declension adjectives).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “autarky”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-U-T-A-R-K-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɔːtəki/ (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
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.