item

/ˈaɪ.təm/

//ˈaɪ.təm// noun

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

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

The verdict

“item” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #2,629) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#2,629
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
3
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A distinct physical object.

Corpus desk

Index EN-item · item · English

item · rank #2,629 · 3 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,629
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-LOW 3 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH index

Nearest frequency peer: index (-1 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.

Frequency neighbours of confusable “item”

Peers at similar corpus weight, separate from look-alike pairs below

corpus weight

What this shows Bars place “item” against nearest ranked English headwords, not a reprint of the confusable-pair desk.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

item vs its
50% similar
item vs itt
50% similar
item vs ith
50% similar

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

Key facts for item
PropertyValue
Headworditem
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈaɪ.təm/
Letters4
Frequency rank#2,629
Misspellings tracked3
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Corpus rank beside confusables of “item”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).itemlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “index” (#2,628), “lane” (#2,630), “he'd” (#2,627). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “item” is #2,629. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for item is neighbouring look-alikes ("its", "itt", …), not just typos; it is anoun pronounced /ˈaɪ.təm/. Frequency #2,629 among 2,140 “I” headwords. 9 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

Our generated misspelling index lists 3 likely wrong-spelling variants for item, with forms such as "ietm", "itemm", and "ittem". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "its", "itt", "ith", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English item, from Latin item (“also; in the same manner”). The present English meaning derives from a usage in lists, where the first entry would begin in primis (“firstly”) or imprimis, and the other entries with item (“also, moreover”). Later… The correct English form is item, spelled I-T-E-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A distinct physical object.
  2. 2
    An object that can be picked up for later use.
  3. 3
    A line of text having a legal or other meaning; a separate particular in an account.
  4. 4
    A question on a test, which may include its answers.
  5. 5
    A matter for discussion in an agenda.
  6. 6
    Two people who are having a romantic or sexual relationship with each other.
  7. 7
    A short article in a newspaper.
  8. 8
    A hint; an innuendo.
  9. 9
    Ellipsis of item girl.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how item appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Tweezers are great for manipulating small items.
  2. The San Juan market is Mexico City's most famous deli of exotic meats, where an adventurous shopper can hunt down hard-to-find critters […]. But the priciest items in the market aren't the armadillo steaks or even the bluefin tuna.

Etymology

From Middle English item, from Latin item (“also; in the same manner”). The present English meaning derives from a usage in lists, where the first entry would begin in primis (“firstly”) or imprimis, and the other entries with item (“also, moreover”). Later, the members of lists were referred to as "items".

Synonyms

articleobjectthingsubjecttopiccoupletestassessment question

This word in other languages

artículo(Español)article(Français)Ding(Deutsch)item(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ietm
  • itemm
  • ittem

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of item - 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.

ietm2itemm1ittem1
Edit distance from "item"

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 "item"?
"item" is spelled I-T-E-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈaɪ.təm/.
What does "item" mean?
As a noun, "item" means: A distinct physical object.
What words are commonly confused with "item"?
"item" is commonly confused with "its", "itt", "ith". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "item"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "item" is /ˈaɪ.təm/. 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 "item"?
From Middle English item, from Latin item (“also; in the same manner”). The present English meaning derives from a usage in lists, where the first entry would begin in primis (“firstly”) or imprimis, and the other entries with item (“also, moreove... 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 "item", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

lane#2,630he'd#2,627mess#2,631navy#2,632

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list