motif
/moʊˈtiːf/
"motif" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“motif” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,188 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #17,188
- frequency rank, English
- 5
- letters
- 7
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A recurring or dominant element; an artistic theme.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | motif |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /moʊˈtiːf/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Frequency rank | #17,188 |
| Misspellings tracked | 7 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “motif” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for motif is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /moʊˈtiːf/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,188 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1A recurring or dominant element; an artistic theme.
- 2A short melodic or lyrical passage that is repeated in several parts of a work.
- 3A decorative figure that is repeated in a design or pattern.
- 4A decorative appliqué design or figure, as of lace or velvet, used in trimming.
- 5The physical object or objects repeated at each point of a lattice. Usually atoms or molecules.
- 6A basic element of a move in terms of why the piece moves and how it supports the fulfilment of a stipulation.
- 7In a nucleotide or aminoacid sequence, pattern that is widespread and has, or is conjectured to have, a biological significance.
Etymology
From French motif (1848), with the meaning of "main idea or theme". Doublet of motive.
This word in other languages
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.
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
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Using “motif”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is M-O-T-I-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /moʊˈtiːf/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “moto” - see the side-by-side comparison. motif vs moto
- 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.