literature

/ˈlɪt.(ə.)ɹə.t͡ʃə(ɹ)/

//ˈlɪt.(ə.)ɹə.t͡ʃə(ɹ)// noun

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

"literature" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“literature” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,395. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,395
frequency rank, English
16,425
“L” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The body of all written works.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

literature vs literate
80% similar

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

Key facts for literature
PropertyValue
Headwordliterature
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɪt.(ə.)ɹə.t͡ʃə(ɹ)/
Letters10
Frequency rank#2,395
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “literature” 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). literature lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around literature (IPA /ˈlɪt.(ə.)ɹə.t͡ʃə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,395 among 16,425 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for literature, with forms such as "ilterature", "lietrature", and "litearture". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "literate", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English literature, from Old French littérature, from Latin literatura or litteratura, from littera (“letter”), from Etruscan, from Ancient Greek διφθέρᾱ (diphthérā, “tablet”). Displaced native Old English bōccræft. The correct English form is literature, spelled L-I-T-E-R-A-T-U-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The body of all written works.
  2. 2
    The collected creative writing of a nation, people, group, or culture.
  3. 3
    All the papers, treatises, etc. published in academic journals on a particular subject.
  4. 4
    Written fiction of a high standard.
  5. 5
    Literacy; ability to read and write.

Etymology

From Middle English literature, from Old French littérature, from Latin literatura or litteratura, from littera (“letter”), from Etruscan, from Ancient Greek διφθέρᾱ (diphthérā, “tablet”). Displaced native Old English bōccræft.

Synonyms

literature

This word in other languages

literatura(Español)littérature(Français)Literatur(Deutsch)literatura(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ilterature
  • lietrature
  • litearture
  • literatrue
  • literatture
  • literatuer
  • literaturre
  • literautre
  • literrature
  • litertaure
  • litreature
  • litterature
  • lliterature
  • ltierature

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ilterature2lietrature2litearture2literatrue2literatture1literatuer2literaturre1literautre2
Edit distance from "literature"

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 "literature"?
"literature" is spelled L-I-T-E-R-A-T-U-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɪt.(ə.)ɹə.t͡ʃə(ɹ)/.
What does "literature" mean?
As a noun, "literature" means: The body of all written works.
What words are commonly confused with "literature"?
"literature" is commonly confused with "literate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "literature"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "literature" is /ˈlɪt.(ə.)ɹə.t͡ʃə(ɹ)/. 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 "literature"?
From Middle English literature, from Old French littérature, from Latin literatura or litteratura, from littera (“letter”), from Etruscan, from Ancient Greek διφθέρᾱ (diphthérā, “tablet”). Displaced native Old English bōccræft. 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 “literature”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-I-T-E-R-A-T-U-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈlɪt.(ə.)ɹə.t͡ʃə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “literate” - see the side-by-side comparison. literature vs literate
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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