axiom
/ˈak.sɪ.əm/
"axiom" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“axiom” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #28,121 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #28,121
- frequency rank, English
- 5
- letters
- 6
- tracked misspellings
- 6
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A seemingly self-evident or necessary truth which is based on assumption; a principle or proposition which cannot actually be proved or disproved.
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 | axiom |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈak.sɪ.əm/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Frequency rank | #28,121 |
| Misspellings tracked | 6 |
| Confusable pairs | 6 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “axiom” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for axiom is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈak.sɪ.əm/. Corpus data places it at rank #28,121 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for axiom, with forms such as "aixom", "aximo", and "axiomm". 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. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "axis", "axon", "aim", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French axiome in the 15th century, from Latin axiōma (“axiom; principle”), from Ancient Greek ἀξίωμα (axíōma, “that which is thought to fit, a requisite, that which a pupil is required to know beforehand, a self-evident principle”), from ἀξιόω (… The correct English form is axiom, spelled A-X-I-O-M.
Definition
- 1A seemingly self-evident or necessary truth which is based on assumption; a principle or proposition which cannot actually be proved or disproved.
- 2A fundamental assumption that serves as a basis for deduction of theorems; a postulate (sometimes distinguished from postulates as being universally applicable, whereas postulates are particular to a certain science or context).
- 3An established principle in some artistic practice or science that is universally received.
Etymology
From Middle French axiome in the 15th century, from Latin axiōma (“axiom; principle”), from Ancient Greek ἀξίωμα (axíōma, “that which is thought to fit, a requisite, that which a pupil is required to know beforehand, a self-evident principle”), from ἀξιόω (axióō, “to think fit or worthy, to require, to demand”), from ἄξιος (áxios, “fit, worthy”, literally “weighing as much as; of like value”), from ἄγω (ágō, “to weigh (down)”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: aixom,aximo,axiomm,axoim,axxiom,xaiom
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of axiom - 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 “axiom”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-X-I-O-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈak.sɪ.əm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “axis” - see the side-by-side comparison. axiom vs axis
- 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.