multilingualism

/mʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəlɪzəm/

//mʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəlɪzəm// noun

"multilingualism" is a 15-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“multilingualism” is uncommon English (frequency #82,570 among 36,575 “M” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#82,570
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The condition of being multilingual; the ability to speak multiple languages.

Key facts for multilingualism
PropertyValue
Headwordmultilingualism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/mʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəlɪzəm/
Letters15
Frequency rank#82,570
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “multilingualism” 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). multilingualism lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

multilingualism is uncommon English at frequency #82,570 among 36,575 “M” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /mʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəlɪzəm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The condition of being multilingual; the ability to speak multiple languages.".

No misspelling variants are generated for multilingualism in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From multilingual + -ism. The correct English form is multilingualism, spelled M-U-L-T-I-L-I-N-G-U-A-L-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    The condition of being multilingual; the ability to speak multiple languages.

Etymology

From multilingual + -ism.

This word in other languages

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 "multilingualism"?
"multilingualism" is spelled M-U-L-T-I-L-I-N-G-U-A-L-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /mʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəlɪzəm/.
What does "multilingualism" mean?
As a noun, "multilingualism" means: The condition of being multilingual; the ability to speak multiple languages.
How do you pronounce "multilingualism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "multilingualism" is /mʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəlɪzəm/. 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 "multilingualism"?
From multilingual + -ism. 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 “multilingualism”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-U-L-T-I-L-I-N-G-U-A-L-I-S-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /mʌltiˈlɪŋɡwəlɪzəm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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