illegitimacy

/ɪlɪˈd͡ʒɪtɪməsi/

//ɪlɪˈd͡ʒɪtɪməsi// noun

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

"illegitimacy" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“illegitimacy” is uncommon English (frequency #75,065 among 2,140 “I” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,065
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-illegitimacy · illegitimacy · English

illegitimacy · rank #75,065 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #75,065
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH iftar

Nearest frequency peer: iftar (-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 “illegitimacy”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for illegitimacy
PropertyValue
Headwordillegitimacy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪlɪˈd͡ʒɪtɪməsi/
Letters12
Frequency rank#75,065
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “illegitimacy” 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).illegitimacyfalls 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: “iftar” (#75,063), “impracticable” (#75,067), “idem” (#75,062). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “illegitimacy” is #75,065. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

illegitimacy is uncommon English at frequency #75,065 among 2,140 “I” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɪlɪˈd͡ʒɪtɪməsi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for illegitimacy, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From illegitimate + -cy; may also be analyzed as il- + legitimacy. The correct English form is illegitimacy, spelled I-L-L-E-G-I-T-I-M-A-C-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being illegitimate.
  2. 2
    The state of being illegitimate.

Etymology

From illegitimate + -cy; may also be analyzed as il- + legitimacy.

This word in other languages

illégitimité(Français)Unrechtmäßigkeit(Deutsch)ilegitimidade(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 "illegitimacy"?
"illegitimacy" is spelled I-L-L-E-G-I-T-I-M-A-C-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪlɪˈd͡ʒɪtɪməsi/.
What does "illegitimacy" mean?
As a noun, "illegitimacy" means: The state of being illegitimate.
How do you pronounce "illegitimacy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "illegitimacy" is /ɪlɪˈd͡ʒɪtɪməsi/. 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 "illegitimacy"?
From illegitimate + -cy; may also be analyzed as il- + legitimacy. 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 "illegitimacy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

interspecies#75,079homocysteine#75,049misanthropic#75,208misbehaviour#75,209

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list