frivolity

/fɹɪˈvɒlɪti/

//fɹɪˈvɒlɪti// noun

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

"frivolity" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“frivolity” is uncommon English (frequency #58,709 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,709
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - frivolous act

Corpus desk

Index EN-frivolity · frivolity · English

frivolity · rank #58,709 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,709
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH freemium

Nearest frequency peer: freemium (-2 rank slots)

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.

Long-tail ranks near “frivolity”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “frivolity” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for frivolity
PropertyValue
Headwordfrivolity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/fɹɪˈvɒlɪti/
Letters9
Frequency rank#58,709
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “frivolity” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).frivolityfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “freemium” (#58,707), “futurity” (#58,712), “fuze” (#58,713). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “frivolity” is #58,709. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

frivolity is uncommon English at frequency #58,709 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /fɹɪˈvɒlɪti/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

frivolity has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French frivolité. The correct English form is frivolity, spelled F-R-I-V-O-L-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    frivolous act
  2. 2
    state of being frivolous

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The sight of their own blood in the white snow may even have been what provided the jolt to transform them from playful children recklessly delighting in the surprise of an unseasonable snowfall into a whooping army of mutineers urged on by a tiny cadre of seditious underclassmen to turn their rambunctious frivolity into stunning mischief and, with an out…
  2. “Look at this festive assembly. All of us, gathered here together, chuckling at jokes and silliness.” [laughter] “And jackanapery.” [rim shots] “I guess there's only one thing left to say. What is this shit?” [rim shot] [laughter] “[laughs] Very good.” “You call yourselves vampires? Bah. This entire evening has been nothing but a pageant of insipid nonsen…

Etymology

From French frivolité.

Synonyms

frivolosityfrivolousness

This word in other languages

frivolidad(Español)frivolité(Français)Frivolität(Deutsch)frivolidade(Português)

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 "frivolity"?
"frivolity" is spelled F-R-I-V-O-L-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /fɹɪˈvɒlɪti/.
What does "frivolity" mean?
As a noun, "frivolity" means: frivolous act
How do you pronounce "frivolity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "frivolity" is /fɹɪˈvɒlɪti/. 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 "frivolity"?
From French frivolité. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "frivolity", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

foundling#58,704fetishism#58,692herniated#58,743Hopkinson#58,750

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list