brutal

/ˈbɹuː.təl/

//ˈbɹuː.təl// adj

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

"brutal" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“brutal” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,030. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,030
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Savagely violent, vicious, ruthless, or cruel, often in an unintelligent manner.

Corpus desk

Index EN-brutal · brutal · English

brutal · rank #6,030 · 9 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,030
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH bridges

Nearest frequency peer: bridges (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “brutal”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “brutal” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

brutal vs brute
67% similar
brutal vs Brutus
50% similar
brutal vs brutes
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for brutal
PropertyValue
Headwordbrutal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈbɹuː.təl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,030
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “brutal”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).brutallands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “bridges” (#6,029), “calculated” (#6,031), “breakdown” (#6,028). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “brutal” is #6,030. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around brutal (IPA /ˈbɹuː.təl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #6,030 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for brutal, with forms such as "bbrutal", "brrutal", and "brtual". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "brute", "Brutus", "brutes", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin brutalis (“savage, stupid”), from Latin brūtus (“dull, stupid”). The correct English form is brutal, spelled B-R-U-T-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Savagely violent, vicious, ruthless, or cruel, often in an unintelligent manner.
  2. 2
    Crude or unfeeling in manner or speech.
  3. 3
    Harsh; unrelenting.
  4. 4
    Disagreeably precise or penetrating.
  5. 5
    In extreme metal, to describe the speed of the music and the density of riffs.
  6. 6
    Direct and without attempt to disguise unpleasantness.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how brutal appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The game was brutal, but after a bloodbath he finally won.
  2. What began as a zeitgeisty outlaw romp in the Uncool Britannia of the 1990s is now reborn as a scabrous and brutal black comedy about middle-aged male disappointment and fear of death.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin brutalis (“savage, stupid”), from Latin brūtus (“dull, stupid”).

This word in other languages

brutal(Español)brutal(Français)brutal(Deutsch)brutal(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbrutal
  • brrutal
  • brtual
  • bruatl
  • brutall
  • brutla
  • bruttal
  • burtal
  • rbutal

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of brutal - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

bbrutal1brrutal1brtual2bruatl2brutall1brutla2bruttal1burtal2
Edit distance from "brutal"

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 "brutal"?
"brutal" is spelled B-R-U-T-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɹuː.təl/.
What does "brutal" mean?
As an adjective, "brutal" means: Savagely violent, vicious, ruthless, or cruel, often in an unintelligent manner.
What words are commonly confused with "brutal"?
"brutal" is commonly confused with "brute", "Brutus", "brutes". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "brutal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "brutal" is /ˈbɹuː.təl/. 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 "brutal"?
From Medieval Latin brutalis (“savage, stupid”), from Latin brūtus (“dull, stupid”). 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 "brutal", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Dennis#6,042Warner#6,017throne#6,013facial#6,049

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

fitting9 variantsHolland9 variantshunger9 variantsimport9 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list