first class

adj

"first-class" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“first class” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Belonging to the best or top group in a system of classification.

Corpus desk

Index EN-first-class · first class · English

first class · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "F" 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 first class
PropertyValue
Headwordfirst class
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “first class” in English

first classfalls 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

first class is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for first class in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct English form is first class, spelled F-I-R-S-T- -C-L-A-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Belonging to the best or top group in a system of classification.
  2. 2
    Of, or relating to the most luxurious and expensive class of accommodation on a train, ship, hotel, etc.
  3. 3
    Of, or relating to a class of mail to be delivered before second class.
  4. 4
    Great, very enjoyable.
  5. 5
    Of or relating to a first class match.
  6. 6
    Of or relating to a treatment like that for a first-class object.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. That was a first class restaurant.
  2. The admirable smoothness of the riding also reflected the greatest credit on those who, despite the difficulties caused by the shortage of men and materials, have succeeded in maintaining the track in such first-class order.

This word in other languages

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 "first class"?
"first class" is spelled F-I-R-S-T- -C-L-A-S-S.
What does "first class" mean?
As an adjective, "first class" means: Belonging to the best or top group in a system of classification.
What language does "first class" come from?
"first class" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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