elementary
/ˌɛlɪˈmɛntəɹi/
"elementary" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“elementary” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,081 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #4,081
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
- 15
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | elementary |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˌɛlɪˈmɛntəɹi/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #4,081 |
| Misspellings tracked | 15 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “elementary” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for elementary is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɛlɪˈmɛntəɹi/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,081 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for elementary, with forms such as "eelmentary", "eleemntary", and "elemenatry". 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, "elemental", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English elementare, from Latin elementārius (“elementary”), from elementum (“one of the four elements of antiquity; fundamentals”) + -ārius (adjective-forming suffix). Cognate with French élémentaire. By surface analysis, element + -ary. The correct English form is elementary, spelled E-L-E-M-E-N-T-A-R-Y.
Definition
- 1Relating to the basic, essential or fundamental part of something.
- 2Very simple.
- 3Relating to an elementary school.
- 4Fundamental: serving as a building block for more complicated structures or processes.
- 5Fundamental: serving as a building block for more complicated structures or processes.
- 6Fundamental: serving as a building block for more complicated structures or processes.
- 7Fundamental: serving as a building block for more complicated structures or processes.
- 8Fundamental: serving as a building block for more complicated structures or processes.
- 9Straightforward, employing only basic techniques; not requiring substantial knowledge (of some particular domain, object, etc.).
- 10Straightforward, employing only basic techniques; not requiring substantial knowledge (of some particular domain, object, etc.).
- 11Sublunary; not celestial; belonging to the sublunary sphere, to which the four classical elements (earth, air, fire and water) were confined; composed of or pertaining to these four elements.
Etymology
From Middle English elementare, from Latin elementārius (“elementary”), from elementum (“one of the four elements of antiquity; fundamentals”) + -ārius (adjective-forming suffix). Cognate with French élémentaire. By surface analysis, element + -ary.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: eelmentary,eleemntary,elemenatry,elemenntary,elementarry,elementaryy,elementayr,elementray,elementtary,elemetnary,elemmentary,elemnetary,ellementary,elmeentary,leementary
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of elementary - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “elementary”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is E-L-E-M-E-N-T-A-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌɛlɪˈmɛntəɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “elemental” - see the side-by-side comparison. elementary vs elemental
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.