fraternity

/fɹəˈtɜː(ɹ)nəti/

//fɹəˈtɜː(ɹ)nəti// noun

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

The verdict

“fraternity” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,723 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,723
frequency rank, English
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The quality of being brothers or brotherly; brotherhood.

Key facts for fraternity
PropertyValue
Headwordfraternity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/fɹəˈtɜː(ɹ)nəti/
Letters10
Frequency rank#13,723
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fraternity” 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). fraternity 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 fraternity is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /fɹəˈtɜː(ɹ)nəti/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,723 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for fraternity, with forms such as "farternity", "ffraternity", and "fraetrnity". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. 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: PIE word *bʰréh₂tēr From Middle English fraternite, borrowed from Old French fraternité, from Latin frāternitās, ultimately from frāter (“brother”). The correct English form is fraternity, spelled F-R-A-T-E-R-N-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The quality of being brothers or brotherly; brotherhood.
  2. 2
    A group of people associated for a common purpose.
  3. 3
    A social organization of male students at a college or university; usually identified by Greek letters.

Etymology

PIE word *bʰréh₂tēr From Middle English fraternite, borrowed from Old French fraternité, from Latin frāternitās, ultimately from frāter (“brother”).

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: farternity,ffraternity,fraetrnity,fratenrity,fraterinty,fraternitty,fraternityy,fraterniyt,fraternnity,fraterntiy,fraterrnity,fratrenity,fratternity,frraternity,frtaernity,rfaternity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

farternity2ffraternity1fraetrnity2fratenrity2fraterinty2fraternitty1fraternityy1fraterniyt2
Edit distance from "fraternity"

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 "fraternity"?
"fraternity" is spelled F-R-A-T-E-R-N-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /fɹəˈtɜː(ɹ)nəti/.
What does "fraternity" mean?
As a noun, "fraternity" means: The quality of being brothers or brotherly; brotherhood.
What are common misspellings of "fraternity"?
Common misspellings include "farternity", "ffraternity", "fraetrnity", "fratenrity", "fraterinty". The correct spelling is "fraternity".
How do you pronounce "fraternity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fraternity" is /fɹəˈtɜː(ɹ)nəti/. 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 "fraternity"?
PIE word *bʰréh₂tēr From Middle English fraternite, borrowed from Old French fraternité, from Latin frāternitās, ultimately from frāter (“brother”). 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 “fraternity”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-R-A-T-E-R-N-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /fɹəˈtɜː(ɹ)nəti/ (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