electricity

/ˌiː.lɛkˈtɹɪs.ɪ.ti/

//ˌiː.lɛkˈtɹɪs.ɪ.ti// noun

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

"electricity" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“electricity” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,426. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,426
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Originally, a property of amber and certain other nonconducting substances to attract lightweight material when rubbed, or the cause of this property; now understood to be a phenomenon caused by th...

Corpus desk

Index EN-electricity · electricity · English

electricity · rank #3,426 · 17 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,426
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH ear

Nearest frequency peer: ear (-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 “electricity”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “electricity” 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).

electricity vs electrician
82% similar

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

Key facts for electricity
PropertyValue
Headwordelectricity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌiː.lɛkˈtɹɪs.ɪ.ti/
Letters11
Frequency rank#3,426
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “electricity”

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).electricitylands 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 “ear” (#3,425), “drinks” (#3,424), “farmers” (#3,428). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “electricity” is #3,426. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around electricity (IPA /ˌiː.lɛkˈtɹɪs.ɪ.ti/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #3,426 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for electricity, with forms such as "eelctricity", "elcetricity", and "elecctricity". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "electrician", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From electric + -ity. The correct English form is electricity, spelled E-L-E-C-T-R-I-C-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Originally, a property of amber and certain other nonconducting substances to attract lightweight material when rubbed, or the cause of this property; now understood to be a phenomenon caused by the distribution and movement of charged subatomic particles and their interaction with the electromagnetic field.
  2. 2
    The study of electrical phenomena; the branch of science dealing with such phenomena.
  3. 3
    A feeling of excitement; a thrill.
  4. 4
    Electrical power, as supplied by power stations or generators.
  5. 5
    Electrical energy, as supplied by power stations or generators.
  6. 6
    The supply of electricity, as a utility.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Again, the concretion of Ice will not endure a dry attrition without liquation ; for if it be rubbed long with a cloth, it melteth. But Cryſtal will calefie unto electricity ; that is, a power to attract ſtraws or light bodies, and convert the needle freely placed.
  2. For, reſtoring the equilibrium in the bottle does not at all affect the Electricity in the man thro’ whom the fire paſſes ; that Electricity is neither increaſed nor diminiſhed.

Etymology

From electric + -ity.

This word in other languages

electricidad(Español)électricité(Français)Elektrizität(Deutsch)eletricidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eelctricity
  • elcetricity
  • elecctricity
  • elecrticity
  • electircity
  • electrciity
  • electriccity
  • electricitty
  • electricityy
  • electriciyt
  • electrictiy
  • electriicty
  • electrricity
  • electtricity
  • eletcricity
  • ellectricity
  • leectricity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of electricity - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

eelctricity2elcetricity2elecctricity1elecrticity2electircity2electrciity2electriccity1electricitty1
Edit distance from "electricity"

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 "electricity"?
"electricity" is spelled E-L-E-C-T-R-I-C-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌiː.lɛkˈtɹɪs.ɪ.ti/.
What does "electricity" mean?
As a noun, "electricity" means: Originally, a property of amber and certain other nonconducting substances to attract lightweight material when rubbed, or the cause of this property; now understood to be a phenomenon caused by th...
What words are commonly confused with "electricity"?
"electricity" is commonly confused with "electrician". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "electricity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "electricity" is /ˌiː.lɛkˈtɹɪs.ɪ.ti/. 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 "electricity"?
From electric + -ity. 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 "electricity", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

replacement#3,389essentially#3,489explanation#3,360participate#3,518

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

publication17 variantsenforcement17 variantsinspiration17 variantsinstitution17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list