eighteen

/ˈeɪ(t).tin/

//ˈeɪ(t).tin// num

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

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

The verdict

“eighteen” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,463. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,463
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The cardinal number occurring after seventeen and before nineteen, represented in Roman numerals as XVIII and in Arabic numerals as 18.

Corpus desk

Index EN-eighteen · eighteen · English

eighteen · rank #9,463 · 11 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,463
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH eclipse

Nearest frequency peer: eclipse (-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 “eighteen”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “eighteen” 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).

eighteen vs eighties
75% similar
eighteen vs eighteenth
80% similar

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

Key facts for eighteen
PropertyValue
Headwordeighteen
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNumeral
IPA/ˈeɪ(t).tin/
Letters8
Frequency rank#9,463
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “eighteen”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).eighteenlands 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 “eclipse” (#9,462), “Eleanor” (#9,464), “ea” (#9,461). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “eighteen” is #9,463. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around eighteen (IPA /ˈeɪ(t).tin/), anumeral. Corpus frequency is #9,463 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Dominant gloss: "The cardinal number occurring after seventeen and before nineteen, represented in Roman numerals as XVIII and in Arabic numerals as 18.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for eighteen, with forms such as "egihteen", "eigghteen", and "eigheten". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "eighties", "eighteenth", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English eightetene, eiȝtene, ehtetene, from Old English eahtatīene, eahtatēne, from Proto-Germanic *ahtōutehun. Cognate with West Frisian achttjin, Dutch achttien, German achtzehn, Danish atten. Equivalent to eight + -teen The correct English form is eighteen, spelled E-I-G-H-T-E-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The cardinal number occurring after seventeen and before nineteen, represented in Roman numerals as XVIII and in Arabic numerals as 18.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

Etymology

From Middle English eightetene, eiȝtene, ehtetene, from Old English eahtatīene, eahtatēne, from Proto-Germanic *ahtōutehun. Cognate with West Frisian achttjin, Dutch achttien, German achtzehn, Danish atten. Equivalent to eight + -teen

This word in other languages

dieciocho(Español)dix-huit(Français)achtzehn(Deutsch)dezoito(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • egihteen
  • eigghteen
  • eigheten
  • eighhteen
  • eighteenn
  • eighten
  • eightene
  • eightteen
  • eigtheen
  • eihgteen
  • ieghteen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

egihteen2eigghteen1eigheten2eighhteen1eighteenn1eighten1eightene2eightteen1
Edit distance from "eighteen"

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 "eighteen"?
"eighteen" is spelled E-I-G-H-T-E-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈeɪ(t).tin/.
What does "eighteen" mean?
As a numeral, "eighteen" means: The cardinal number occurring after seventeen and before nineteen, represented in Roman numerals as XVIII and in Arabic numerals as 18.
What words are commonly confused with "eighteen"?
"eighteen" is commonly confused with "eighties", "eighteenth". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "eighteen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "eighteen" is /ˈeɪ(t).tin/. 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 "eighteen"?
From Middle English eightetene, eiȝtene, ehtetene, from Old English eahtatīene, eahtatēne, from Proto-Germanic *ahtōutehun. Cognate with West Frisian achttjin, Dutch achttien, German achtzehn, Danish atten. Equivalent to eight + -teen 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 "eighteen", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

detained#9,456forwards#9,471homemade#9,479inferior#9,482

Similar misspelling depth

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

glimpse11 variantsChester11 variantsbattalion11 variantsLindsay11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list