levity

/ˈlɛ.vɪ.ti/

//ˈlɛ.vɪ.ti// noun

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

"levity" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“levity” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #47,158. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#47,158
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A lightness of manner or speech, frivolity; flippancy; a lack of appropriate seriousness; an inclination to make a joke of serious matters.

Corpus desk

Index EN-levity · levity · English

levity · rank #47,158 · 9 variants · 11 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #47,158
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 11 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Levis

Nearest frequency peer: Levis (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “levity”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “levity” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

levity vs levy
67% similar
levity vs Levi
50% similar
levity vs legit
67% similar

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

Key facts for levity
PropertyValue
Headwordlevity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɛ.vɪ.ti/
Letters6
Frequency rank#47,158
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “levity”

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).levitylands 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 “Levis” (#47,157), “Lichtenstein” (#47,159), “letterhead” (#47,156). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “levity” is #47,158. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around levity (IPA /ˈlɛ.vɪ.ti/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #47,158 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for levity, with forms such as "elvity", "leivty", and "levitty". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "levy", "Levi", "legit", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Coined in 1564, from Latin levitās (“lightness, frivolity”), from levis (“lightness (in weight)”). Cognate to lever, and more distantly, light. The correct English form is levity, spelled L-E-V-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A lightness of manner or speech, frivolity; flippancy; a lack of appropriate seriousness; an inclination to make a joke of serious matters.
  2. 2
    A lack of steadiness.
  3. 3
    The state or quality of being light, buoyancy.
  4. 4
    A lighthearted or frivolous act.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Most of the confidences were unsought - frequently I have feigned sleep, preoccupation or a hostile levity […]
  2. […]it would really seem as if there was something nomadic in our natures, a principle of levity and restlessness […]

Etymology

Coined in 1564, from Latin levitās (“lightness, frivolity”), from levis (“lightness (in weight)”). Cognate to lever, and more distantly, light.

Antonyms

gravity

This word in other languages

ligereza(Español)nonchalance(Français)Unbeschwertheit(Deutsch)leveza(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • elvity
  • leivty
  • levitty
  • levityy
  • leviyt
  • levtiy
  • levvity
  • llevity
  • lveity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

elvity2leivty2levitty1levityy1leviyt2levtiy2levvity1llevity1
Edit distance from "levity"

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 "levity"?
"levity" is spelled L-E-V-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɛ.vɪ.ti/.
What does "levity" mean?
As a noun, "levity" means: A lightness of manner or speech, frivolity; flippancy; a lack of appropriate seriousness; an inclination to make a joke of serious matters.
What words are commonly confused with "levity"?
"levity" is commonly confused with "levy", "Levi", "legit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "levity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "levity" is /ˈlɛ.vɪ.ti/. 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 "levity"?
Coined in 1564, from Latin levitās (“lightness, frivolity”), from levis (“lightness (in weight)”). Cognate to lever, and more distantly, light. 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 "levity", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Laszlo#47,151kneels#47,145Keisha#47,141Keeley#47,140

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Luciana9 variantsjutting9 variantsMarkey9 variantsJasmin9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list