hostility

/hɒˈstɪlɪti/

//hɒˈstɪlɪti// noun

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

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

The verdict

“hostility” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,790. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,790
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The state of being hostile.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hostility · hostility · English

hostility · rank #12,790 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,790
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH homo

Nearest frequency peer: homo (-1 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “hostility”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “hostility” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for hostility
PropertyValue
Headwordhostility
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/hɒˈstɪlɪti/
Letters9
Frequency rank#12,790
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “hostility”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “homo” (#12,789), “hymn” (#12,791), “homage” (#12,788). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hostility” is #12,790. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around hostility (IPA /hɒˈstɪlɪti/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,790 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for hostility, with forms such as "hhostility", "hositlity", and "hosstility". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hostilitie, hostilite, from Old French hostilité, from Latin hostīlitās. By surface analysis, hostile + -ity. The correct English form is hostility, spelled H-O-S-T-I-L-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being hostile.
  2. 2
    A hostile action, especially a military action. See hostilities for specific plural definition.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. My resentment and anger towards you caused hostility and a division between us.
  2. There is no hostilitie so excellent, as that which is absolutely Christian.

Etymology

From Middle English hostilitie, hostilite, from Old French hostilité, from Latin hostīlitās. By surface analysis, hostile + -ity.

Synonyms

antagonismoppositionenmityanimosityantipathyhatredunfriendlinesswarfightingcombat

Antonyms

amityfriendlinesspeace

This word in other languages

hostilidad(Español)hostilité(Français)Feindseligkeit(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hhostility
  • hositlity
  • hosstility
  • hostiilty
  • hostilitty
  • hostilityy
  • hostiliyt
  • hostillity
  • hostiltiy
  • hostliity
  • hosttility
  • hotsility
  • hsotility
  • ohstility

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hhostility1hositlity2hosstility1hostiilty2hostilitty1hostilityy1hostiliyt2hostillity1
Edit distance from "hostility"

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 "hostility"?
"hostility" is spelled H-O-S-T-I-L-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /hɒˈstɪlɪti/.
What does "hostility" mean?
As a noun, "hostility" means: The state of being hostile.
What are common misspellings of "hostility"?
Common misspellings include "hhostility", "hositlity", "hosstility", "hostiilty", "hostilitty". The correct spelling is "hostility".
How do you pronounce "hostility"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hostility" is /hɒˈstɪlɪti/. 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 "hostility"?
From Middle English hostilitie, hostilite, from Old French hostilité, from Latin hostīlitās. By surface analysis, hostile + -ity. 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 "hostility", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

interrupt#12,796feminists#12,775moonlight#12,808exquisite#12,769

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

overthrow14 variantscourthouse14 variantsarthritis14 variantsspectacle14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list