itsy-bitsy

/ˈɪtsi ˈbɪtsi/

//ˈɪtsi ˈbɪtsi// adj

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

The verdict

“itsy-bitsy” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Very small; minuscule.

Key facts for itsy-bitsy
PropertyValue
Headworditsy-bitsy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɪtsi ˈbɪtsi/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “itsy-bitsy” sits in English frequency

itsy-bitsy falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

itsy-bitsy is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈɪtsi ˈbɪtsi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Very small; minuscule.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for itsy-bitsy, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From itty (baby-talk form of little) and/or bitsy. The correct English form is itsy-bitsy, spelled I-T-S-Y---B-I-T-S-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Very small; minuscule.

Etymology

From itty (baby-talk form of little) and/or bitsy.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "itsy-bitsy"?
"itsy-bitsy" is spelled I-T-S-Y---B-I-T-S-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪtsi ˈbɪtsi/.
What does "itsy-bitsy" mean?
As an adjective, "itsy-bitsy" means: Very small; minuscule.
How do you pronounce "itsy-bitsy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "itsy-bitsy" is /ˈɪtsi ˈbɪtsi/. 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 "itsy-bitsy"?
From itty (baby-talk form of little) and/or bitsy. 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 “itsy-bitsy”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-T-S-Y---B-I-T-S-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɪtsi ˈbɪtsi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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