flatten

/ˈflæ.tən/

//ˈflæ.tən// verb

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

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

The verdict

“flatten” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,657 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#29,657
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make something flat or flatter.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

flatten vs flatter
86% similar
flatten vs flutter
71% similar
flatten vs flattery
75% similar

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

Key facts for flatten
PropertyValue
Headwordflatten
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈflæ.tən/
Letters7
Frequency rank#29,657
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “flatten” 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). flatten 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 flatten is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈflæ.tən/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,657 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for flatten, with forms such as "faltten", "fflatten", and "flaten". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "flatter", "flutter", "flattery", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From flat + -en. The correct English form is flatten, spelled F-L-A-T-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make something flat or flatter.
  2. 2
    To press one's body tightly against a surface, such as a wall or floor, especially in order to avoid being seen or harmed.
  3. 3
    To knock down or lay low.
  4. 4
    To become flat or flatter; to plateau.
  5. 5
    To be knocked down or laid low.
  6. 6
    To lower by a semitone.
  7. 7
    To make vapid or insipid; to render stale.
  8. 8
    To reduce (a data structure) to one that has fewer dimensions, e.g. a 2×2 array into a list of four elements.
  9. 9
    To combine (separate layers) into a single image.

Etymology

From flat + -en.

This word in other languages

achatar(Español)aplatir(Français)plätten(Deutsch)derrubar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: faltten,fflatten,flaten,flatetn,flattenn,flattne,fllatten,fltaten,lfatten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of flatten - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

faltten2fflatten1flaten1flatetn2flattenn1flattne2fllatten1fltaten2
Edit distance from "flatten"

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 "flatten"?
"flatten" is spelled F-L-A-T-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈflæ.tən/.
What does "flatten" mean?
As a verb, "flatten" means: To make something flat or flatter.
What words are commonly confused with "flatten"?
"flatten" is commonly confused with "flatter", "flutter", "flattery". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "flatten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "flatten" is /ˈflæ.tən/. 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 "flatten"?
From flat + -en. 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 “flatten”

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

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