commentator
/ˈkɑmənˌteɪtəɹ/
"commentator" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“commentator” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,668 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #11,668
- frequency rank, English
- 11
- letters
- 15
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person who makes a commentary, particularly
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | commentator |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈkɑmənˌteɪtəɹ/ |
| Letters | 11 |
| Frequency rank | #11,668 |
| Misspellings tracked | 15 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “commentator” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for commentator is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkɑmənˌteɪtəɹ/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,668 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for commentator, with forms such as "ccommentator", "cmomentator", and "comemntator". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: In form, from Middle English commentator, from Latin commentātor (“author, inventor, interpreter, jailer”), from commentātus + -or (“-er: forming agent nouns”), from commentāri (“to ponder, to study, to write upon”), from comminīscor (“to think over, to inv… The correct English form is commentator, spelled C-O-M-M-E-N-T-A-T-O-R.
Definition
- 1A person who makes a commentary, particularly
- 2A person who makes a commentary, particularly
- 3A person who makes a commentary, particularly
- 4A person who makes a commentary, particularly
- 5A person who makes a commentary, particularly
- 6A person who makes a commentary, particularly
Etymology
In form, from Middle English commentator, from Latin commentātor (“author, inventor, interpreter, jailer”), from commentātus + -or (“-er: forming agent nouns”), from commentāri (“to ponder, to study, to write upon”), from comminīscor (“to think over, to invent”) + -tārī (“to frequently be ~ed”). In meaning, influenced by comment and commentary. By surface analysis, comment + -ator.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ccommentator,cmomentator,comemntator,comentator,commenattor,commenntator,commentaotr,commentatorr,commentatro,commentattor,commenttaor,commenttator,commetnator,commnetator,ocmmentator
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of commentator - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.
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 "commentator"?
What does "commentator" mean?
What are common misspellings of "commentator"?
How do you pronounce "commentator"?
What is the origin of the word "commentator"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “commentator”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-M-M-E-N-T-A-T-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkɑmənˌteɪtəɹ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.