monitor

/ˈmɒn.ɪ.tə/

//ˈmɒn.ɪ.tə// noun

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

"monitor" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“monitor” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,829. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,829
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Someone who watches over something; a person in charge of something or someone.

Corpus desk

Index EN-monitor · monitor · English

monitor · rank #3,829 · 10 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,829
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH merely

Nearest frequency peer: merely (-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 “monitor”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “monitor” 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).

monitor vs motor
71% similar
monitor vs monster
71% similar
monitor vs mentor
71% similar

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

Key facts for monitor
PropertyValue
Headwordmonitor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɒn.ɪ.tə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#3,829
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “monitor”

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).monitorlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “merely” (#3,828), “Matthew” (#3,827), “nov” (#3,831). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “monitor” is #3,829. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around monitor (IPA /ˈmɒn.ɪ.tə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #3,829 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 13 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for monitor, with forms such as "mmonitor", "mnoitor", and "mointor". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "motor", "monster", "mentor", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin monitor (“warner”), from perfect passive participle monitus (“warning”), from verb monere (“to warn, admonish, remind”). Warship sense is from USS Monitor, the first ship of this type. The correct English form is monitor, spelled M-O-N-I-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who watches over something; a person in charge of something or someone.
  2. 2
    A device that detects and informs on the presence, quantity, etc., of something.
  3. 3
    A device similar to a television set used as to give a graphical display of the output from a computer.
  4. 4
    A studio monitor or loudspeaker.
  5. 5
    A program for viewing and editing.
  6. 6
    The command line interface of an operating system.
  7. 7
    A student leader in a class.
  8. 8
    A relatively small armored warship with only one or two turrets (but often carrying unusually large guns for a warship of its size), usually designed for shore bombardment or riverine warfare rather than open-ocean combat.
  9. 9
    A monitor lizard (Varanus spp. and extinct relatives in family Varanidae).
  10. 10
    A tool holder, as for a lathe, shaped like a low turret, and capable of being revolved on a vertical pivot so as to bring several tools successively into position.
  11. 11
    A monitor nozzle.
  12. 12
    One who admonishes; one who warns of faults, informs of duty, or gives advice and instruction by way of reproof or caution.
  13. 13
    An ironclad.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The camp monitors look after the children during the night, when the teachers are asleep.
  2. And oft, mild friend, to me thou art A monitor, though still; Thou speak'st a lesson to my heart, Beyond the preacher's skill.

Etymology

From Latin monitor (“warner”), from perfect passive participle monitus (“warning”), from verb monere (“to warn, admonish, remind”). Warship sense is from USS Monitor, the first ship of this type.

This word in other languages

monitor(Español)moniteur(Français)Aufpasser(Deutsch)monitor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mmonitor
  • mnoitor
  • mointor
  • moniotr
  • monitorr
  • monitro
  • monittor
  • monnitor
  • montior
  • omnitor

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mmonitor1mnoitor2mointor2moniotr2monitorr1monitro2monittor1monnitor1
Edit distance from "monitor"

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 "monitor"?
"monitor" is spelled M-O-N-I-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɒn.ɪ.tə/.
What does "monitor" mean?
As a noun, "monitor" means: Someone who watches over something; a person in charge of something or someone.
What words are commonly confused with "monitor"?
"monitor" is commonly confused with "motor", "monster", "mentor". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "monitor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "monitor" is /ˈmɒn.ɪ.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 "monitor"?
From Latin monitor (“warner”), from perfect passive participle monitus (“warning”), from verb monere (“to warn, admonish, remind”). Warship sense is from USS Monitor, the first ship of this type. 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 "monitor", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Matthew#3,827Patrick#3,832reverse#3,843routine#3,844

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

funeral10 variantscommerce10 variantsAtlanta10 variantswhilst10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list