authoritative

/ɔːˈθɒɹɪtətɪv/

//ɔːˈθɒɹɪtətɪv// adj

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

"authoritative" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“authoritative” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,079. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,079
frequency rank, English
35,202
“A” headwords
18
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Arising or originating from a figure of authority.

Corpus desk

Index EN-authoritative · authoritative · English

authoritative · rank #17,079 · 18 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,079
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-7 7 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 18 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 35,202
  • PHOTO-FINISH awarding

Nearest frequency peer: awarding (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “authoritative”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “authoritative” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for authoritative
PropertyValue
Headwordauthoritative
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɔːˈθɒɹɪtətɪv/
Letters13
Frequency rank#17,079
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “authoritative” 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). authoritative lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around authoritative (IPA /ɔːˈθɒɹɪtətɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #17,079 among 35,202 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for authoritative, with forms such as "atuhoritative", "auhtoritative", and "authhoritative". 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. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From authorit(y) + -ative. The correct English form is authoritative, spelled A-U-T-H-O-R-I-T-A-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Arising or originating from a figure of authority.
  2. 2
    Highly accurate or definitive; treated or worthy of treatment as a scholarly authority.
  3. 3
    Having a commanding style.

Etymology

From authorit(y) + -ative.

This word in other languages

autoritativo(Español)officiel(Français)autoritativ(Deutsch)autoritário(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • atuhoritative
  • auhtoritative
  • authhoritative
  • authoirtative
  • authoriattive
  • authoritaitve
  • authoritatiev
  • authoritativve
  • authoritattive
  • authoritatvie
  • authorittaive
  • authorittative
  • authorritative
  • authortiative
  • authroitative
  • autohritative
  • autthoritative
  • uathoritative

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

atuhoritative2auhtoritative2authhoritative1authoirtative2authoriattive2authoritaitve2authoritatiev2authoritativve1
Edit distance from "authoritative"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "authoritative"?
"authoritative" is spelled A-U-T-H-O-R-I-T-A-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɔːˈθɒɹɪtətɪv/.
What does "authoritative" mean?
As an adjective, "authoritative" means: Arising or originating from a figure of authority.
What are common misspellings of "authoritative"?
Common misspellings include "atuhoritative", "auhtoritative", "authhoritative", "authoirtative", "authoriattive". The correct spelling is "authoritative".
How do you pronounce "authoritative"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "authoritative" is /ɔːˈθɒɹɪtətɪv/. 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 "authoritative"?
From authorit(y) + -ative. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "authoritative", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

chronological#17,102controversies#17,110incorporation#17,163appropriation#17,291

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

prominently18 variantslegalization18 variantsconfidently18 variantswithdrawing18 variants
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