iota

/aɪˈəʊtə/

//aɪˈəʊtə// noun

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

"iota" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“iota” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #30,103 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#30,103
frequency rank, English
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ι, ι).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

iota vs it
50% similar
iota vs its
50% similar
iota vs IRA
0% similar

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

Key facts for iota
PropertyValue
Headwordiota
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/aɪˈəʊtə/
Letters4
Frequency rank#30,103
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “iota” 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). iota 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 iota is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /aɪˈəʊtə/. Corpus data places it at rank #30,103 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for iota, with forms such as "ioat", "iotta", and "itoa". 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. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "it", "its", "IRA", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek ἰῶτα (iôta), ultimately from Proto-Semitic *yad- (“hand”). Doublet of jot and yodh. Sense “jot, small quantity” in reference to a phrase in the New Testament: ”one iote or one title, shall in no wise passe from the law”, iota being the sm… The correct English form is iota, spelled I-O-T-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ι, ι).
  2. 2
    The Latin letter Ɩ (minuscule: ɩ).
  3. 3
    A jot; a very small, insignificant quantity.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἰῶτα (iôta), ultimately from Proto-Semitic *yad- (“hand”). Doublet of jot and yodh. Sense “jot, small quantity” in reference to a phrase in the New Testament: ”one iote or one title, shall in no wise passe from the law”, iota being the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet.

This word in other languages

iota(Español)iota(Français)Jota(Deutsch)pingo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ioat,iotta,itoa,oita

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of iota - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ioat2iotta1itoa2oita2
Edit distance from "iota"

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 "iota"?
"iota" is spelled I-O-T-A. The IPA pronunciation is /aɪˈəʊtə/.
What does "iota" mean?
As a noun, "iota" means: The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet (Ι, ι).
What words are commonly confused with "iota"?
"iota" is commonly confused with "it", "its", "IRA". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "iota"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "iota" is /aɪˈəʊtə/. 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 "iota"?
From Ancient Greek ἰῶτα (iôta), ultimately from Proto-Semitic *yad- (“hand”). Doublet of jot and yodh. Sense “jot, small quantity” in reference to a phrase in the New Testament: ”one iote or one title, shall in no wise passe from the law”, iota be... 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.

Using “iota”

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

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