entertainment

/ˌɛn.təˈteɪn.mənt/

//ˌɛn.təˈteɪn.mənt// noun

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

"entertainment" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“entertainment” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,482 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,482
frequency rank, English
13
letters
20
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An activity designed to give pleasure, enjoyment, diversion, amusement, or relaxation to an audience, no matter whether the audience participates passively as in watching opera or a movie, or activ...

Key facts for entertainment
PropertyValue
Headwordentertainment
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɛn.təˈteɪn.mənt/
Letters13
Frequency rank#2,482
Misspellings tracked20
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “entertainment” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). entertainment lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for entertainment is 13 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɛn.təˈteɪn.mənt/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,482 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for entertainment, with forms such as "enetrtainment", "enntertainment", and "enteratinment". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English entretenement (“support, maintenance”), from Old French entretenement; see entertain. Morphologically entertain + -ment. The correct English form is entertainment, spelled E-N-T-E-R-T-A-I-N-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    An activity designed to give pleasure, enjoyment, diversion, amusement, or relaxation to an audience, no matter whether the audience participates passively as in watching opera or a movie, or actively as in games.
  2. 2
    A show put on for the enjoyment or amusement of others.
  3. 3
    Maintenance or support.
  4. 4
    An admission into service; a service.
  5. 5
    The payment of soldiers or servants; wages.
  6. 6
    A reception; a (provision of) food to guests or travellers.

Etymology

From Middle English entretenement (“support, maintenance”), from Old French entretenement; see entertain. Morphologically entertain + -ment.

This word in other languages

entretenimiento(Español)divertissement(Français)Unterhaltung(Deutsch)entretenimento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: enetrtainment,enntertainment,enteratinment,enterrtainment,entertaimnent,entertainemnt,entertainmennt,entertainmentt,entertainmetn,entertainmment,entertainmnet,entertainnment,entertaniment,entertianment,enterttainment,entetrainment,entretainment,enttertainment,etnertainment,netertainment

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

enetrtainment2enntertainment1enteratinment2enterrtainment1entertaimnent2entertainemnt2entertainmennt1entertainmentt1
Edit distance from "entertainment"

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 "entertainment"?
"entertainment" is spelled E-N-T-E-R-T-A-I-N-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɛn.təˈteɪn.mənt/.
What does "entertainment" mean?
As a noun, "entertainment" means: An activity designed to give pleasure, enjoyment, diversion, amusement, or relaxation to an audience, no matter whether the audience participates passively as in watching opera or a movie, or activ...
What are common misspellings of "entertainment"?
Common misspellings include "enetrtainment", "enntertainment", "enteratinment", "enterrtainment", "entertaimnent". The correct spelling is "entertainment".
How do you pronounce "entertainment"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "entertainment" is /ˌɛn.təˈteɪn.mənt/. 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 "entertainment"?
From Middle English entretenement (“support, maintenance”), from Old French entretenement; see entertain. Morphologically entertain + -ment. 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.

Using “entertainment”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is E-N-T-E-R-T-A-I-N-M-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌɛn.təˈteɪn.mənt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list