monolith

/ˈmɒn.ə.lɪθ/

//ˈmɒn.ə.lɪθ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“monolith” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,678. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,678
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A large, single block of stone which is a natural feature; or a block of stone or other similar material used in architecture and sculpture, especially one carved into a monument in ancient times.

Corpus desk

Index EN-monolith · monolith · English

monolith · rank #36,678 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #36,678
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH monetize

Nearest frequency peer: monetize (-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 “monolith”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “monolith” 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).

monolith vs monolithic
80% similar

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

Key facts for monolith
PropertyValue
Headwordmonolith
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɒn.ə.lɪθ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#36,678
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “monolith”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).monolithlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “monetize” (#36,677), “Monticello” (#36,679), “moly” (#36,676). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “monolith” is #36,678. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around monolith (IPA /ˈmɒn.ə.lɪθ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #36,678 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for monolith, with forms such as "mmonolith", "mnoolith", and "monloith". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "monolithic", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is borrowed from French monolithe (“object made from a single block of stone”), from Middle French monolythe (“made from a single block of stone”) (rare), and from their etymon Latin monolithus (“made from a single block of stone”), from Ancient Gr… The correct English form is monolith, spelled M-O-N-O-L-I-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large, single block of stone which is a natural feature; or a block of stone or other similar material used in architecture and sculpture, especially one carved into a monument in ancient times.
  2. 2
    Anything massive, uniform, and unmovable, especially a towering and impersonal cultural, political, or social organization or structure.
  3. 3
    A substrate having many tiny channels that is cast as a single piece, which is used as a stationary phase for chromatography, as a catalytic surface, etc.
  4. 4
    A dead tree whose height and size have been reduced by breaking off or cutting its branches.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Tomb of Napoleon I. [...] Twelve colossal statues, by [James] Pradier, representing as many victories, stand against the pilasters, facing the tomb, consisting of an immense monolith of porphyry, weighing 135,000 lbs., and brought from Lake Onega in Finland at a cost of 140,000fr.
  2. Rumour, with her thousand tongues, affirms that the "Prince Albert Memorial" will not take the form of a monolith; we shall not be sorry to learn the fact of some more suitable monument having been decided upon.

Etymology

The noun is borrowed from French monolithe (“object made from a single block of stone”), from Middle French monolythe (“made from a single block of stone”) (rare), and from their etymon Latin monolithus (“made from a single block of stone”), from Ancient Greek μονόλιθος (monólithos, “made from a single block of stone”), from μονο- (mono-, prefix meaning ‘alone; single’) (from μόνος (mónos, “alone; only, unique”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“little, small”)) + λίθος (líthos, “a stone; stone as a substance”); analysable as mono- + -lith. The English word is cognate with German monolith (“made from a single block of stone”). The verb is derived from the noun.

This word in other languages

monolito(Español)monolithe(Français)Monolith(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mmonolith
  • mnoolith
  • monloith
  • monnolith
  • monoilth
  • monoliht
  • monolithh
  • monolitth
  • monollith
  • monoltih
  • moonlith
  • omnolith

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mmonolith1mnoolith2monloith2monnolith1monoilth2monoliht2monolithh1monolitth1
Edit distance from "monolith"

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 "monolith"?
"monolith" is spelled M-O-N-O-L-I-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɒn.ə.lɪθ/.
What does "monolith" mean?
As a noun, "monolith" means: A large, single block of stone which is a natural feature; or a block of stone or other similar material used in architecture and sculpture, especially one carved into a monument in ancient times.
What words are commonly confused with "monolith"?
"monolith" is commonly confused with "monolithic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "monolith"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "monolith" is /ˈmɒn.ə.lɪθ/. 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 "monolith"?
The noun is borrowed from French monolithe (“object made from a single block of stone”), from Middle French monolythe (“made from a single block of stone”) (rare), and from their etymon Latin monolithus (“made from a single block of stone”), from ... 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 "monolith", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

monetize#36,677modality#36,674Missoula#36,670Medvedev#36,661

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

mystics12 variantsrelaying12 variantsreshuffle12 variantsroughness12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list