authentic
/ɒˈθɛn.tɪk/
"authentic" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“authentic” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,653 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #6,653
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of the same origin as claimed; genuine.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | authentic |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ɒˈθɛn.tɪk/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #6,653 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “authentic” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for authentic is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɒˈθɛn.tɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,653 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 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for authentic, with forms such as "atuhentic", "auhtentic", and "autehntic". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English authentik, from Old French autentique, from Latin authenticus, from Ancient Greek αὐθεντικός (authentikós, “authentic, genuine”), from Ancient Greek αὐθέντης (authéntēs, “perpetrator, murderer, absolute ruler”). Doublet of effendi. The correct English form is authentic, spelled A-U-T-H-E-N-T-I-C.
Definition
- 1Of the same origin as claimed; genuine.
- 2Conforming to reality and therefore worthy of trust, reliance, or belief.
- 3Designating a mode having the final as the lowest note.
- 4Designating a cadence in which the dominant chord precedes the tonic.
- 5Authoritative.
Etymology
From Middle English authentik, from Old French autentique, from Latin authenticus, from Ancient Greek αὐθεντικός (authentikós, “authentic, genuine”), from Ancient Greek αὐθέντης (authéntēs, “perpetrator, murderer, absolute ruler”). Doublet of effendi.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: atuhentic,auhtentic,autehntic,authenitc,authenntic,authentci,authenticc,authenttic,authetnic,authhentic,authnetic,autthentic,uathentic
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of authentic - 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.
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
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Using “authentic”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-U-T-H-E-N-T-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɒˈθɛn.tɪk/ (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.