elitism

/ɪˈliːtɪzəm/

//ɪˈliːtɪzəm// noun

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

"elitism" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“elitism” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #45,354. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#45,354
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The belief that a society or system should be run by an elite.

Corpus desk

Index EN-elitism · elitism · English

elitism · rank #45,354 · 10 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #45,354
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH elven

Nearest frequency peer: elven (+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 “elitism”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “elitism” 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).

elitism vs elitist
86% similar

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

Key facts for elitism
PropertyValue
Headwordelitism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪˈliːtɪzəm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#45,354
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “elitism”

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).elitismlands 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 “elven” (#45,355), “eke” (#45,352), “emigrant” (#45,356). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “elitism” is #45,354. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around elitism (IPA /ɪˈliːtɪzəm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #45,354 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for elitism, with forms such as "eiltism", "eliitsm", and "elitims". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "elitist", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From elite + -ism. First attested in the 1930s. The correct English form is elitism, spelled E-L-I-T-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    The belief that a society or system should be run by an elite.
  2. 2
    The superior attitude or behaviour associated with an elite.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Dati launched a blistering attack on the prime minister, François Fillon, under whom she served as justice minister, accusing him of sexism, elitism, arrogance and hindering the political advancement of ethnic minorities.

Etymology

From elite + -ism. First attested in the 1930s.

This word in other languages

elitismo(Español)élitisme(Français)elitismo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eiltism
  • eliitsm
  • elitims
  • elitismm
  • elitissm
  • elitsim
  • elittism
  • ellitism
  • eltiism
  • leitism

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eiltism2eliitsm2elitims2elitismm1elitissm1elitsim2elittism1ellitism1
Edit distance from "elitism"

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 "elitism"?
"elitism" is spelled E-L-I-T-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈliːtɪzəm/.
What does "elitism" mean?
As a noun, "elitism" means: The belief that a society or system should be run by an elite.
What words are commonly confused with "elitism"?
"elitism" is commonly confused with "elitist". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "elitism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "elitism" is /ɪˈliːtɪzəm/. 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 "elitism"?
From elite + -ism. First attested in the 1930s. 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 "elitism", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

entente#45,359earshot#45,348Earhart#45,346dutiful#45,345

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

frothy10 variantsgantry10 variantsCygnus10 variantsGirardi10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list