Israelite

/ˈɪz.ɹi.əˌlaɪt/

//ˈɪz.ɹi.əˌlaɪt// noun

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

The verdict

“Israelite” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #38,917 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#38,917
frequency rank, English
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A native or inhabitant of

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Israelite vs Israelites
90% similar
Israelite vs Israeli
78% similar
Israelite vs Israelis
78% similar

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

Key facts for Israelite
PropertyValue
HeadwordIsraelite
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɪz.ɹi.əˌlaɪt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#38,917
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Israelite” 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). Israelite 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 Israelite is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɪz.ɹi.əˌlaɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #38,917 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for Israelite, with forms such as "irsaelite", "isarelite", and "israeilte". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "Israelites", "Israeli", "Israelis", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From the Latin Isrāēlīta (“Israelite”), from the Ancient Greek Ἰσρᾱηλῑ́της (Isrāēlī́tēs, “Israelite”), from Ἰσρᾱήλ (Isrāḗl, “Israel”), from the Hebrew יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yiśrāʼēl, “Israel”); by surface analysis, Israel + -ite. The correct English form is Israelite, spelled I-S-R-A-E-L-I-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A native or inhabitant of
  2. 2
    A native or inhabitant of (i) the united nation of ancient Israel (under the Judges, and then kings Saul, David and Solomon), or (ii) the later ancient northern kingdom centered in Samaria, distinct from the kingdom of Judah centered in Jerusalem.
  3. 3
    A native or inhabitant of (i) the united nation of ancient Israel (under the Judges, and then kings Saul, David and Solomon), or (ii) the later ancient northern kingdom centered in Samaria, distinct from the kingdom of Judah centered in Jerusalem.
  4. 4
    A member of the Twelve Tribes of Israel and a descendant of Jacob.
  5. 5
    A member of the Jewish people who is neither a cohen nor a Levite.
  6. 6
    A club used as a weapon by the Circumcellions.

Etymology

From the Latin Isrāēlīta (“Israelite”), from the Ancient Greek Ἰσρᾱηλῑ́της (Isrāēlī́tēs, “Israelite”), from Ἰσρᾱήλ (Isrāḗl, “Israel”), from the Hebrew יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yiśrāʼēl, “Israel”); by surface analysis, Israel + -ite.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: irsaelite,isarelite,israeilte,israeliet,israelitte,israellite,israeltie,israleite,isrealite,isrraelite,issraelite,siraelite

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

irsaelite2isarelite2israeilte2israeliet2israelitte1israellite1israeltie2israleite2
Edit distance from "Israelite"

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 "Israelite"?
"Israelite" is spelled I-S-R-A-E-L-I-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪz.ɹi.əˌlaɪt/.
What does "Israelite" mean?
As a noun, "Israelite" means: A native or inhabitant of
What words are commonly confused with "Israelite"?
"Israelite" is commonly confused with "Israelites", "Israeli", "Israelis". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Israelite"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Israelite" is /ˈɪz.ɹi.əˌlaɪt/. 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 "Israelite"?
From the Latin Isrāēlīta (“Israelite”), from the Ancient Greek Ἰσρᾱηλῑ́της (Isrāēlī́tēs, “Israelite”), from Ἰσρᾱήλ (Isrāḗl, “Israel”), from the Hebrew יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yiśrāʼēl, “Israel”); by surface analysis, Israel + -ite. 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 “Israelite”

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

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