catastrophe

Name: catastrophe, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/kəˈtæstɹəfi/

//kəˈtæstɹəfi// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“catastrophe” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,679 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,679
frequency rank, English: 11
letters: 17
tracked misspellings: 1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any large and disastrous event of great significance.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

catastrophe vs catastrophic

83% similar

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

Key facts for catastrophe
Property	Value
Headword	catastrophe
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/kəˈtæstɹəfi/
Letters	11
Frequency rank	#13,679
Misspellings tracked	17
Confusable pairs	1
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “catastrophe” 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). catastrophe lands here:

#13,679

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for catastrophe is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kəˈtæstɹəfi/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,679 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for catastrophe, with forms such as "actastrophe", "caatstrophe", and "catasrtophe". 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, "catastrophic", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek καταστροφή (katastrophḗ), from καταστρέφω (katastréphō, “I overturn”), from κατά (katá, “down, against”) + στρέφω (stréphō, “I turn”). The correct English form is catastrophe, spelled C-A-T-A-S-T-R-O-P-H-E.

Definition

1
Any large and disastrous event of great significance.
2
A disaster beyond expectations.
3
The dramatic event that initiates the resolution of the plot; the dénouement.
4
A type of bifurcation, where a system shifts between two stable states.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek καταστροφή (katastrophḗ), from καταστρέφω (katastréphō, “I overturn”), from κατά (katá, “down, against”) + στρέφω (stréphō, “I turn”).

This word in other languages

catástrofe(Español)catastrophe(Français)Katastrophe(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: actastrophe,caatstrophe,catasrtophe,catasstrophe,catastorphe,catastrohpe,catastropeh,catastrophhe,catastropphe,catastrpohe,catastrrophe,catasttrophe,catatsrophe,catsatrophe,cattastrophe,ccatastrophe,ctaastrophe

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "catastrophe"

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 "catastrophe"?

"catastrophe" is spelled C-A-T-A-S-T-R-O-P-H-E. The IPA pronunciation is /kəˈtæstɹəfi/.

What does "catastrophe" mean?

As a noun, "catastrophe" means: Any large and disastrous event of great significance.

What words are commonly confused with "catastrophe"?

"catastrophe" is commonly confused with "catastrophic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "catastrophe"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "catastrophe" is /kəˈtæstɹəfi/. 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 "catastrophe"?

From Ancient Greek καταστροφή (katastrophḗ), from καταστρέφω (katastréphō, “I overturn”), from κατά (katá, “down, against”) + στρέφω (stréphō, “I turn”). 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.

Using “catastrophe”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is C-A-T-A-S-T-R-O-P-H-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /kəˈtæstɹəfi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “catastrophic” - see the side-by-side comparison. catastrophe vs catastrophic
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.