character

/ˈkæ.ɹɪk.tə/

//ˈkæ.ɹɪk.tə// noun

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

"character" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“character” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #803 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#803
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A being involved in the action of a story; a persona.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

character vs charter
78% similar
character vs characters
90% similar

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

Key facts for character
PropertyValue
Headwordcharacter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkæ.ɹɪk.tə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#803
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “character” 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). character lands here:

#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 character is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkæ.ɹɪk.tə/. Corpus data places it at rank #803 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for character, with forms such as "cahracter", "ccharacter", and "chaarcter". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "charter", "characters", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English caracter, from Old French caractere, from Latin character, from Ancient Greek χαρακτήρ (kharaktḗr, “type, nature, character”), from χαράσσω (kharássō, “to engrave”). Doublet of charakter. The correct English form is character, spelled C-H-A-R-A-C-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A being involved in the action of a story; a persona.
  2. 2
    A distinguishing feature; characteristic; trait; nature; phene.
  3. 3
    A complex of traits marking a person, group, breed, or type.
  4. 4
    Strength of mind; resolution; independence; individuality; moral strength.
  5. 5
    A unique or extraordinary individual; a person characterized by peculiar or notable traits, especially charisma.
  6. 6
    A written or printed symbol, or letter.
  7. 7
    Style of writing or printing; handwriting; the particular form of letters used by a person or people.
  8. 8
    A secret cipher; a way of writing in code.
  9. 9
    One of the basic elements making up a text file or string: a code representing a printing character or a control character.
  10. 10
    A person or individual, especially one who is unknown.
  11. 11
    An assignment of complex numbers to each element of a group, in particular a finite abelian group. More precisely, a group homomorphism into the group of units of a field (usually ℂ).
  12. 12
    Quality, position, rank, or capacity; quality or conduct with respect to a certain office or duty.
  13. 13
    The estimate, individual or general, put upon a person or thing; reputation.
  14. 14
    A reference given to a servant, attesting to their behaviour, competence, etc.
  15. 15
    Personal appearance.

Etymology

From Middle English caracter, from Old French caractere, from Latin character, from Ancient Greek χαρακτήρ (kharaktḗr, “type, nature, character”), from χαράσσω (kharássō, “to engrave”). Doublet of charakter.

This word in other languages

personaje(Español)personnage(Français)Figur(Deutsch)personagem(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: cahracter,ccharacter,chaarcter,characcter,characetr,characterr,charactre,charactter,charatcer,charcater,charracter,chharacter,chraacter,hcaracter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cahracter2ccharacter1chaarcter2characcter1characetr2characterr1charactre2charactter1
Edit distance from "character"

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 "character"?
"character" is spelled C-H-A-R-A-C-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkæ.ɹɪk.tə/.
What does "character" mean?
As a noun, "character" means: A being involved in the action of a story; a persona.
What words are commonly confused with "character"?
"character" is commonly confused with "charter", "characters". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "character"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "character" is /ˈkæ.ɹɪk.tə/. 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 "character"?
From Middle English caracter, from Old French caractere, from Latin character, from Ancient Greek χαρακτήρ (kharaktḗr, “type, nature, character”), from χαράσσω (kharássō, “to engrave”). Doublet of charakter. 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 “character”

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

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list