fatality

/feɪˈtælɪti/

//feɪˈtælɪti// noun

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

"fatality" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fatality” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #23,537 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#23,537
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state proceeding from destiny; invincible necessity, superior to, and independent of, free and rational control.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

fatality vs fatally
75% similar
fatality vs futility
75% similar
fatality vs finality
75% similar

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

Key facts for fatality
PropertyValue
Headwordfatality
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/feɪˈtælɪti/
Letters8
Frequency rank#23,537
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fatality” 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). fatality 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 fatality is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /feɪˈtælɪti/. Corpus data places it at rank #23,537 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for fatality, with forms such as "aftality", "faatlity", and "fatailty". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "fatally", "futility", "finality", 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 French fatalité. equivalent to fatal + -ity. The video game move sense was popularized by the Mortal Kombat series. The correct English form is fatality, spelled F-A-T-A-L-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state proceeding from destiny; invincible necessity, superior to, and independent of, free and rational control.
  2. 2
    Tendency to death, destruction or danger, as if by decree of fate.
  3. 3
    That which is decreed by fate or which is fatal; a fatal event.
  4. 4
    Death.
  5. 5
    An accident that causes death.
  6. 6
    A person killed.
  7. 7
    A move used to deliver a coup de grâce to a defeated opponent.

Etymology

From French fatalité. equivalent to fatal + -ity. The video game move sense was popularized by the Mortal Kombat series.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aftality,faatlity,fatailty,fatalitty,fatalityy,fataliyt,fatallity,fataltiy,fatlaity,fattality,ffatality,ftaality

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aftality2faatlity2fatailty2fatalitty1fatalityy1fataliyt2fatallity1fataltiy2
Edit distance from "fatality"

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 "fatality"?
"fatality" is spelled F-A-T-A-L-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /feɪˈtælɪti/.
What does "fatality" mean?
As a noun, "fatality" means: The state proceeding from destiny; invincible necessity, superior to, and independent of, free and rational control.
What words are commonly confused with "fatality"?
"fatality" is commonly confused with "fatally", "futility", "finality". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fatality"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fatality" is /feɪˈtælɪti/. 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 "fatality"?
From French fatalité. equivalent to fatal + -ity. The video game move sense was popularized by the Mortal Kombat series. 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 “fatality”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-A-T-A-L-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /feɪˈtælɪti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “fatally” - see the side-by-side comparison. fatality vs fatally
  • 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