motif

/moʊˈtiːf/

//moʊˈtiːf// noun

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

"motif" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“motif” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,188. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,188
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A recurring or dominant element; an artistic theme.

Corpus desk

Index EN-motif · motif · English

motif · rank #17,188 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,188
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH modem

Nearest frequency peer: modem (-2 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 “motif”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “motif” 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).

motif vs moto
60% similar
motif vs mott
60% similar
motif vs movie
60% similar

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

Key facts for motif
PropertyValue
Headwordmotif
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/moʊˈtiːf/
Letters5
Frequency rank#17,188
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “motif”

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).motiflands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “modem” (#17,186), “newcomer” (#17,190), “Merkel” (#17,185). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “motif” is #17,188. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around motif (IPA /moʊˈtiːf/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,188 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for motif, with forms such as "mmotif", "moitf", and "motfi". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "moto", "mott", "movie", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French motif (1848), with the meaning of "main idea or theme". Doublet of motive. The correct English form is motif, spelled M-O-T-I-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    A recurring or dominant element; an artistic theme.
  2. 2
    A short melodic or lyrical passage that is repeated in several parts of a work.
  3. 3
    A decorative figure that is repeated in a design or pattern.
  4. 4
    A decorative appliqué design or figure, as of lace or velvet, used in trimming.
  5. 5
    The physical object or objects repeated at each point of a lattice. Usually atoms or molecules.
  6. 6
    A basic element of a move in terms of why the piece moves and how it supports the fulfilment of a stipulation.
  7. 7
    In a nucleotide or aminoacid sequence, pattern that is widespread and has, or is conjectured to have, a biological significance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. See how the artist repeats the scroll motif throughout the work?

Etymology

From French motif (1848), with the meaning of "main idea or theme". Doublet of motive.

This word in other languages

motivo(Español)motif(Français)Motiv(Deutsch)motivo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mmotif
  • moitf
  • motfi
  • motiff
  • mottif
  • mtoif
  • omtif

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of motif - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

mmotif1moitf2motfi2motiff1mottif1mtoif2omtif2
Edit distance from "motif"

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 "motif"?
"motif" is spelled M-O-T-I-F. The IPA pronunciation is /moʊˈtiːf/.
What does "motif" mean?
As a noun, "motif" means: A recurring or dominant element; an artistic theme.
What words are commonly confused with "motif"?
"motif" is commonly confused with "moto", "mott", "movie". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "motif"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "motif" is /moʊˈtiːf/. 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 "motif"?
From French motif (1848), with the meaning of "main idea or theme". Doublet of motive. 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 "motif", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

modem#17,186Paolo#17,202latex#17,173papal#17,203

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

peril7 variantsKabul7 variantsJudah7 variantsinsure7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list