elite

/ɪˈliːt/

//ɪˈliːt// adj

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

"elite" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“elite” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,622. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,622
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of high birth or social position; aristocratic or patrician.

Corpus desk

Index EN-elite · elite · English

elite · rank #3,622 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,622
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH downtown

Nearest frequency peer: downtown (-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 “elite”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “elite” 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).

elite vs else
60% similar
elite vs exit
60% similar
elite vs emit
60% similar

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

Key facts for elite
PropertyValue
Headwordelite
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɪˈliːt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#3,622
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “elite”

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).elitelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “downtown” (#3,621), “enemies” (#3,623), “desert” (#3,620). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “elite” is #3,622. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around elite (IPA /ɪˈliːt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #3,622 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for elite, with forms such as "eilte", "eliet", and "elitte". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "else", "exit", "emit", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English elit, from Old French elit, eslit (“chosen, elected”) past participle of elire, eslire (“to choose, elect”), from Latin eligere (“to choose, elect”), with past participle electus; see elect. The correct English form is elite, spelled E-L-I-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of high birth or social position; aristocratic or patrician.
  2. 2
    Representing the choicest or most select of a group.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Not since Coventry in 1992 has a Premier League side kicked off a campaign with an all-English XI but things have reached the point where, of the 61 signings who have cost the elite division's 20 clubs a transfer fee this summer, only 12 have involved Englishmen.

Etymology

From Middle English elit, from Old French elit, eslit (“chosen, elected”) past participle of elire, eslire (“to choose, elect”), from Latin eligere (“to choose, elect”), with past participle electus; see elect.

This word in other languages

élite(Español)élite(Français)elitär(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eilte
  • eliet
  • elitte
  • ellite
  • eltie
  • leite

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eilte2eliet2elitte1ellite1eltie2leite2
Edit distance from "elite"

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 "elite"?
"elite" is spelled E-L-I-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈliːt/.
What does "elite" mean?
As an adjective, "elite" means: Of high birth or social position; aristocratic or patrician.
What words are commonly confused with "elite"?
"elite" is commonly confused with "else", "exit", "emit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "elite"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "elite" is /ɪˈliːt/. 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 "elite"?
From Middle English elit, from Old French elit, eslit (“chosen, elected”) past participle of elire, eslire (“to choose, elect”), from Latin eligere (“to choose, elect”), with past participle electus; see elect. 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 "elite", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

forth#3,625delay#3,618hopes#3,630layer#3,635

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

gods6 variantsbuddy6 variantspray6 variantsdust6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list