ID

/aɪˈdiː/

//aɪˈdiː// noun

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

"id" is a 2-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ID” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,448 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,448
frequency rank, English
2
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Abbreviation of identification / identifier / identity document.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ID vs in
0% similar
ID vs is
0% similar
ID vs it
0% similar

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

Key facts for ID
PropertyValue
HeadwordID
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/aɪˈdiː/
Letters2
Frequency rank#2,448
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ID” 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). ID 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 ID is 2 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /aɪˈdiː/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,448 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

ID doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "in", "is", "it", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is ID, spelled I-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Abbreviation of identification / identifier / identity document.
  2. 2
    An electronic music track without an official title.
  3. 3
    An ident.
  4. 4
    Initialism of image description.
  5. 5
    Initialism of intellectual disability.
  6. 6
    Initialism of intelligent design.
  7. 7
    Initialism of industrial design.
  8. 8
    Initialism of inside diameter or inner diameter or internal diameter.
  9. 9
    Initialism of industry discount.
  10. 10
    Initialism of iron deficiency.

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 "ID"?
"ID" is spelled I-D. The IPA pronunciation is /aɪˈdiː/.
What does "ID" mean?
As a noun, "ID" means: Abbreviation of identification / identifier / identity document.
What words are commonly confused with "ID"?
"ID" is commonly confused with "in", "is", "it". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ID"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ID" is /aɪˈdiː/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ID" come from?
"ID" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “ID”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /aɪˈdiː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “in” - see the side-by-side comparison. ID vs in
  • 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