courtier

/ˈkɔɹtiɚ/

//ˈkɔɹtiɚ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“courtier” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #44,714. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#44,714
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person in attendance at a royal court.

Corpus desk

Index EN-courtier · courtier · English

courtier · rank #44,714 · 11 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #44,714
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH countertop

Nearest frequency peer: countertop (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “courtier”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “courtier” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

courtier vs Courtney
63% similar
courtier vs courtiers
89% similar
courtier vs courier
88% similar

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

Key facts for courtier
PropertyValue
Headwordcourtier
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɔɹtiɚ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#44,714
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “courtier”

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).courtierlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “countertop” (#44,713), “crag” (#44,715), “counterintelligence” (#44,712). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “courtier” is #44,714. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around courtier (IPA /ˈkɔɹtiɚ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #44,714 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for courtier, with forms such as "ccourtier", "corutier", and "couriter". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "Courtney", "courtiers", "courier", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English courteour, from Anglo-Norman corteour, Old French cortoiier, from cort (“court”). The correct English form is courtier, spelled C-O-U-R-T-I-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person in attendance at a royal court.
  2. 2
    A person who flatters in order to seek favour.
  3. 3
    Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Asian genus Sephisa.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. By the Lord, Horatio, this three years I have taken note of it, the age is grown so picked that the toe of the peasant comes so near the heel of the courtier he galls his kibe.
  2. People shouted cheerfully and flinched, but the Prime Minister didn't flinch, she fortified her voice with a firm diapason as if rising to the challenge of a rowdy Chamber. Around her her courtiers started like pheasants.

Etymology

From Middle English courteour, from Anglo-Norman corteour, Old French cortoiier, from cort (“court”).

This word in other languages

cortesano(Español)courtisan(Français)Höfling(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccourtier
  • corutier
  • couriter
  • courrtier
  • courteir
  • courtierr
  • courtire
  • courttier
  • coutrier
  • cuortier
  • ocurtier

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccourtier1corutier2couriter2courrtier1courteir2courtierr1courtire2courttier1
Edit distance from "courtier"

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 "courtier"?
"courtier" is spelled C-O-U-R-T-I-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɔɹtiɚ/.
What does "courtier" mean?
As a noun, "courtier" means: A person in attendance at a royal court.
What words are commonly confused with "courtier"?
"courtier" is commonly confused with "Courtney", "courtiers", "courier". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "courtier"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "courtier" is /ˈkɔɹtiɚ/. 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 "courtier"?
From Middle English courteour, from Anglo-Norman corteour, Old French cortoiier, from cort (“court”). 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 "courtier", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

cultivar#44,719Dagenham#44,722coleslaw#44,696coldness#44,695

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

DeLorean11 variantsdolomite11 variantsbronzer11 variantsBoulogne11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list