autism
/ˈɔːtɪzəm/
"autism" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“autism” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,417 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #7,417
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 8
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A pervasive neurological condition that is observable in early childhood and persists throughout the lifespan, characterised by atypical communication patterns (e.g., differences in body language o...
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | autism |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈɔːtɪzəm/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #7,417 |
| Misspellings tracked | 8 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “autism” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for autism is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɔːtɪzəm/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,417 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for autism, with forms such as "atuism", "auitsm", and "autims". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "artist", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from German Autismus, coined by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, first usage dated to 1907 attributed by Carl Jung as an alternative of his for "auto-erotism", although Bleuler himself differentiates the terms in his book Dementia Praecox, first p… The correct English form is autism, spelled A-U-T-I-S-M.
Definition
- 1A pervasive neurological condition that is observable in early childhood and persists throughout the lifespan, characterised by atypical communication patterns (e.g., differences in body language or eye contact), delayed language development, and sensory processing sensitivities.
- 2A pervasive neurological condition that is observable in early childhood and persists throughout the lifespan, characterised by atypical communication patterns (e.g., differences in body language or eye contact), delayed language development, and sensory processing sensitivities.
- 3A diagnosis involving a pathological tendency to engage in self-centered fantasy thinking, historically considered a symptom of insanity or schizophrenia.
- 4Abnormal and unhealthy focus or persistence, stereotypically coupled with low self-awareness and unhealthy hatred of opposition or criticism.
Etymology
Borrowed from German Autismus, coined by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, first usage dated to 1907 attributed by Carl Jung as an alternative of his for "auto-erotism", although Bleuler himself differentiates the terms in his book Dementia Praecox, first published 1911. From Ancient Greek αὐτός (autós, “self”) + -ισμός (-ismós, “-ism”).
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: atuism,auitsm,autims,autismm,autissm,autsim,auttism,uatism
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of autism - 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
How do you spell "autism"?
What does "autism" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "autism"?
How do you pronounce "autism"?
What is the origin of the word "autism"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “autism”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-U-T-I-S-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɔːtɪzəm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “artist” - see the side-by-side comparison. autism vs artist
- 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.