erratum

/ɛˈɹɑːtəm/

//ɛˈɹɑːtəm// noun

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

The verdict

“erratum” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A published notice reporting an error belatedly discovered in a previous publication.

Corpus desk

Index EN-erratum · erratum · English

erratum · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "E" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for erratum
PropertyValue
Headworderratum
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɛˈɹɑːtəm/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “erratum” in English

erratumfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

erratum is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɛˈɹɑːtəm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

erratum doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin errātum, neuter of errātus (“mistaken”). The correct English form is erratum, spelled E-R-R-A-T-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A published notice reporting an error belatedly discovered in a previous publication.
  2. 2
    An error, especially one in a printed work.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. When the journal's editors found out about the misreported details, they issued an erratum.
  2. Erratum / The correct ISBN for this book is […]

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin errātum, neuter of errātus (“mistaken”).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "erratum"?
"erratum" is spelled E-R-R-A-T-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ɛˈɹɑːtəm/.
What does "erratum" mean?
As a noun, "erratum" means: A published notice reporting an error belatedly discovered in a previous publication.
How do you pronounce "erratum"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "erratum" is /ɛˈɹɑːtəm/. 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 "erratum"?
Borrowed from Latin errātum, neuter of errātus (“mistaken”). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list