metadata

/ˈmɛt.əˌdeɪ.tə/

//ˈmɛt.əˌdeɪ.tə// noun

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

"metadata" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“metadata” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,133. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,133
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Data that describes other data, serving as an informative label.

Corpus desk

Index EN-metadata · metadata · English

metadata · rank #18,133 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,133
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH materially

Nearest frequency peer: materially (-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 “metadata”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “metadata” 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
Key facts for metadata
PropertyValue
Headwordmetadata
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɛt.əˌdeɪ.tə/
Letters8
Frequency rank#18,133
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “metadata”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).metadatalands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “materially” (#18,132), “Middlesex” (#18,134), “mastermind” (#18,131). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “metadata” is #18,133. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around metadata (IPA /ˈmɛt.əˌdeɪ.tə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #18,133 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for metadata, with forms such as "emtadata", "meatdata", and "metaadta". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From meta- + data. The correct English form is metadata, spelled M-E-T-A-D-A-T-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Data that describes other data, serving as an informative label.
  2. 2
    Structured information about a file (date created, creator, software used to create, last modified, file format, file fingerprint, etc).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Most websites contain metadata to tell the computer how to lay out the content on the screen.
  2. That photo's metadata suggests it was edited using Photoshop.

Etymology

From meta- + data.

This word in other languages

metadatos(Español)métadonnées(Français)Metadaten(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • emtadata
  • meatdata
  • metaadta
  • metadaat
  • metadatta
  • metaddata
  • metadtaa
  • metdaata
  • mettadata
  • mmetadata
  • mteadata

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

emtadata2meatdata2metaadta2metadaat2metadatta1metaddata1metadtaa2metdaata2
Edit distance from "metadata"

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 "metadata"?
"metadata" is spelled M-E-T-A-D-A-T-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɛt.əˌdeɪ.tə/.
What does "metadata" mean?
As a noun, "metadata" means: Data that describes other data, serving as an informative label.
What are common misspellings of "metadata"?
Common misspellings include "emtadata", "meatdata", "metaadta", "metadaat", "metadatta". The correct spelling is "metadata".
How do you pronounce "metadata"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "metadata" is /ˈmɛt.əˌdeɪ.tə/. 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 "metadata"?
From meta- + data. 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 "metadata", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

mischief#18,136oncology#18,146intrigue#18,112Helsinki#18,097

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

parcels11 variantsplumber11 variantshayward11 variantsgripping11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list