mortality

/mɔɹˈtælɪti/

//mɔɹˈtælɪti// noun

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

"mortality" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“mortality” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,321 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,321
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state or quality of being mortal.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

mortality vs mortally
78% similar
mortality vs motility
78% similar
mortality vs morality
89% similar

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

Key facts for mortality
PropertyValue
Headwordmortality
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/mɔɹˈtælɪti/
Letters9
Frequency rank#8,321
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “mortality” 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). mortality lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for mortality is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /mɔɹˈtælɪti/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,321 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for mortality, with forms such as "mmortality", "moratlity", and "morrtality". 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, "mortally", "motility", "morality", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French mortalite, from Latin mortālitās, from mortālis (“relating to death”), from mors (“death”); equivalent to mortal + -ity. The correct English form is mortality, spelled M-O-R-T-A-L-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state or quality of being mortal.
  2. 2
    The state or quality of being mortal.
  3. 3
    The state or quality of being mortal.
  4. 4
    The number of deaths; and, usually and especially, the number of deaths per time unit (usually per year), expressed as a rate.
  5. 5
    The number of deaths; and, usually and especially, the number of deaths per time unit (usually per year), expressed as a rate.
  6. 6
    Death.
  7. 7
    Mortals collectively.

Etymology

From Old French mortalite, from Latin mortālitās, from mortālis (“relating to death”), from mors (“death”); equivalent to mortal + -ity.

This word in other languages

mortalidad(Español)mortalité(Français)Sterblichkeit(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: mmortality,moratlity,morrtality,mortailty,mortalitty,mortalityy,mortaliyt,mortallity,mortaltiy,mortlaity,morttality,motrality,mrotality,omrtality

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mmortality1moratlity2morrtality1mortailty2mortalitty1mortalityy1mortaliyt2mortallity1
Edit distance from "mortality"

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 "mortality"?
"mortality" is spelled M-O-R-T-A-L-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /mɔɹˈtælɪti/.
What does "mortality" mean?
As a noun, "mortality" means: The state or quality of being mortal.
What words are commonly confused with "mortality"?
"mortality" is commonly confused with "mortally", "motility", "morality". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "mortality"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "mortality" is /mɔɹˈtælɪti/. 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 "mortality"?
From Old French mortalite, from Latin mortālitās, from mortālis (“relating to death”), from mors (“death”); equivalent to mortal + -ity. 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 “mortality”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-O-R-T-A-L-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /mɔɹˈtælɪti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “mortally” - see the side-by-side comparison. mortality vs mortally
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list