# illiteracy

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɪˈlɪtəɹəsi/ · frequency rank #34,535

## Definitions
1. The inability to read and write.
2. The portion of a population unable to read and write, generally given as a percentage.
3. A word, phrase, or grammatical turn thought to be characteristic of an illiterate person.
4. Unlearnedness; the state of being ignorant or unlettered.

## Etymology
From il- + literacy.

## Easily confused with
- **illiterate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/illiteracy-vs-illiterate)

## Common misspellings (13)
`ililteracy`, `iliteracy`, `illietracy`, `illitearcy`, `illiteraccy`, `illiteracyy`, `illiterayc`, `illitercay`, `illiterracy`, `illitreacy`, `illitteracy`, `illtieracy`, `liliteracy`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/illiteracy