category

/ˈkæ.tɪ.ɡə.ɹi/

//ˈkæ.tɪ.ɡə.ɹi// noun

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

"category" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“category” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,615. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,615
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A group, often named or numbered, to which items are assigned based on similarity or defined criteria.

Corpus desk

Index EN-category · category · English

category · rank #2,615 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,615
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH bunch

Nearest frequency peer: bunch (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “category”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “category” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for category
PropertyValue
Headwordcategory
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkæ.tɪ.ɡə.ɹi/
Letters8
Frequency rank#2,615
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “category” sits in English frequency

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).categorylands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “bunch” (#2,614), “chat” (#2,616), “bottle” (#2,613). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around category (IPA /ˈkæ.tɪ.ɡə.ɹi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,615 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for category, with forms such as "actegory", "caetgory", and "categgory". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Late Middle English, borrowed from French catégorie, from Middle French categorie, from Late Latin catēgoria (“class of predicables”), from Ancient Greek κατηγορία (katēgoría, “head of predicables”). Doublet of categoria. The correct English form is category, spelled C-A-T-E-G-O-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A group, often named or numbered, to which items are assigned based on similarity or defined criteria.
  2. 2
    A collection of objects, together with a transitively closed collection of composable arrows between them, such that every object has an identity arrow, and such that arrow composition is associative.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. This steep and dangerous climb belongs to the most difficult category.
  2. I wouldn’t put this book in the same category as the author’s first novel.

Etymology

Late Middle English, borrowed from French catégorie, from Middle French categorie, from Late Latin catēgoria (“class of predicables”), from Ancient Greek κατηγορία (katēgoría, “head of predicables”). Doublet of categoria.

This word in other languages

categoría(Español)catégorie(Français)Kategorie(Deutsch)categoria(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • actegory
  • caetgory
  • categgory
  • categorry
  • categoryy
  • categoyr
  • categroy
  • cateogry
  • catgeory
  • cattegory
  • ccategory
  • ctaegory

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of category - 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.

actegory2caetgory2categgory1categorry1categoryy1categoyr2categroy2cateogry2
Edit distance from "category"

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 "category"?
"category" is spelled C-A-T-E-G-O-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkæ.tɪ.ɡə.ɹi/.
What does "category" mean?
As a noun, "category" means: A group, often named or numbered, to which items are assigned based on similarity or defined criteria.
What are common misspellings of "category"?
Common misspellings include "actegory", "caetgory", "categgory", "categorry", "categoryy". The correct spelling is "category".
How do you pronounce "category"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "category" is /ˈkæ.tɪ.ɡə.ɹi/. 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 "category"?
Late Middle English, borrowed from French catégorie, from Middle French categorie, from Late Latin catēgoria (“class of predicables”), from Ancient Greek κατηγορία (katēgoría, “head of predicables”). Doublet of categoria. 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 "category", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

chemical#2,618accurate#2,606academic#2,604sentence#2,599

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

favourite12 variantsrecovery12 variantsprogramme12 variantsconsumer12 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "category". Here's where to go from here.

  • 12 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #2,615 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "C" letter cohort. C–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list