coterie

/ˈkəʊtəɹi/

//ˈkəʊtəɹi// noun

"coterie" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“coterie” is uncommon English (frequency #53,465 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,465
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A circle of individuals who associate with one another for a common purpose.

Corpus desk

Index EN-coterie · coterie · English

coterie · rank #53,465 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,465
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH councilwoman

Nearest frequency peer: councilwoman (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “coterie”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “coterie” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for coterie
PropertyValue
Headwordcoterie
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkəʊtəɹi/
Letters7
Frequency rank#53,465
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “coterie” in English

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).coteriefalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “councilwoman” (#53,466), “coverages” (#53,467), “coves” (#53,468). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “coterie” is #53,465. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

coterie is uncommon English at frequency #53,465 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkəʊtəɹi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for coterie, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French coterie. The correct English form is coterie, spelled C-O-T-E-R-I-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A circle of individuals who associate with one another for a common purpose.
  2. 2
    A communal burrow of prairie dogs.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The new junior employee joined our merry after-hours coterie.
  2. A tightly knit coterie of executive powerbrokers made all the real decisions in the company.

Etymology

Borrowed from French coterie.

This word in other languages

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 "coterie"?
"coterie" is spelled C-O-T-E-R-I-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkəʊtəɹi/.
What does "coterie" mean?
As a noun, "coterie" means: A circle of individuals who associate with one another for a common purpose.
How do you pronounce "coterie"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coterie" is /ˈkəʊtəɹi/. 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 "coterie"?
Borrowed from French coterie. 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 "coterie", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list