Curtis

/ˈkɝtɪs/

//ˈkɝtɪs// name

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

"curtis" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Curtis” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,784. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,784
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An English surname transferred from the nickname, originally a nickname for a refined or courtly person.

Corpus desk

Index EN-curtis · Curtis · English

Curtis · rank #7,784 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,784
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH cox

Nearest frequency peer: cox (-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 “Curtis”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “Curtis” 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).

Curtis vs cuts
50% similar
Curtis vs cutie
50% similar
Curtis vs curves
50% similar

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

Key facts for Curtis
PropertyValue
HeadwordCurtis
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈkɝtɪs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#7,784
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “Curtis”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).Curtislands 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 “cox” (#7,783), “decorated” (#7,785), “consist” (#7,781). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “Curtis” is #7,784. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around Curtis (IPA /ˈkɝtɪs/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #7,784 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for Curtis, with forms such as "ccurtis", "crutis", and "curits". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "cuts", "cutie", "curves", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French corteis and curteis (Modern French courtois (“polite, courteous”). Doublet of courteous. The correct English form is Curtis, spelled C-U-R-T-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    An English surname transferred from the nickname, originally a nickname for a refined or courtly person.
  2. 2
    A male given name transferred from the surname.
  3. 3
    A number of places in the United States:
  4. 4
    A number of places in the United States:
  5. 5
    A number of places in the United States:
  6. 6
    A number of places in the United States:
  7. 7
    A number of places in the United States:
  8. 8
    A municipality in A Coruña province, Galicia, Spain.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A cold world, Curtis, in every office but thine; and therefore, fire.
  2. The night once come, our happiness, our unhappiness, — it is all abolished; vanished, clean gone; a thing that has been: ‘not of the slightest consequence’ whether we were happy as eupeptic Curtis, as the fattest pig of Epicurus, or unhappy as job with potsherds, as musical Byron with Giaours and sensibilities of the heart […]

Etymology

From Old French corteis and curteis (Modern French courtois (“polite, courteous”). Doublet of courteous.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccurtis
  • crutis
  • curits
  • currtis
  • curtsi
  • curttis
  • cutris
  • ucrtis

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccurtis1crutis2curits2currtis1curtsi2curttis1cutris2ucrtis2
Edit distance from "Curtis"

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 "Curtis"?
"Curtis" is spelled C-U-R-T-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɝtɪs/.
What does "Curtis" mean?
As a proper noun, "Curtis" means: An English surname transferred from the nickname, originally a nickname for a refined or courtly person.
What words are commonly confused with "Curtis"?
"Curtis" is commonly confused with "cuts", "cutie", "curves". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Curtis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Curtis" is /ˈkɝtɪs/. 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 "Curtis"?
From Old French corteis and curteis (Modern French courtois (“polite, courteous”). Doublet of courteous. 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 "Curtis", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

citing#7,777feared#7,792cement#7,775Barnes#7,773

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

grind8 variantslance8 variantslocate8 variantslocks8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list