autism
aut·ism/ˈɔːtɪzəm/noun
autism is spelled A-U-T-I-S-M: 6 letters and 2 syllables (aut·ism). It appears 9.3 times per million words in written English, the 7,445th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, autism means “Autism spectrum disorder, a condition characterized by impairment in social communication and interaction, as well as a need or strong preference for…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of autism is autisms.
How many letters and syllables are in autism?
| Letters | 6: A-U-T-I-S-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: aut·ism |
| In writing | 9.3 times per million words; the 7,445th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is autism?
Autism appears 9.3 times per million words in written English, the 7,445th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce autism?
- UK /ˈɔːtɪzəm/
- British /ˈoːtɪzəm/
- /ˈɔtɪzəm/
Autism has 2 syllables, split aut·ism in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-autism.ogg, En-US-autism.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of autism
- autisms plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does autism mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Autism spectrum disorder, a condition characterized by impairment in social communication and interaction, as well as a need or strong preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing differences, focused interests, or repetitive behaviours. This includes classic autism as well as other, previously distinct disorders such as Asperger's syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and
- 2
datedClassic autism, 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 or eye contact), delayed language development, and sensory processing sensitivities.
- 3
obsoleteA diagnosis involving a pathological tendency to engage in self-centered fantasy thinking, historically considered a symptom of insanity or schizophrenia.
- 4
offensiveAbnormal and unhealthy focus or persistence, stereotypically coupled with low self-awareness and unhealthy hatred of opposition or criticism.
weaponized autism
Wiktionary also records autism as a common misspelling of another word in some uses; the senses above are its own.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Autism in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense neurological disorder:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does autism come from?
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”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).