multitask

adj

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

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

The verdict

“multitask” is uncommon English (frequency #53,121 among 4,057 “M” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,121
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Handling or involving multiple tasks at once.

Corpus desk

Index EN-multitask · multitask · English

multitask · rank #53,121 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,121
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH Motte

Nearest frequency peer: Motte (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “multitask”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “multitask” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for multitask
PropertyValue
Headwordmultitask
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters9
Frequency rank#53,121
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “multitask” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).multitaskfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Motte” (#53,119), “Murfreesboro” (#53,123), “motorboat” (#53,118). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “multitask” is #53,121. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

multitask is uncommon English at frequency #53,121 among 4,057 “M” headwords, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Handling or involving multiple tasks at once.".

No misspelling variants are generated for multitask in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From multi- + task. The adjectival sense in computing first appears c. 1965 in the publications of B.I. Witt. The verbal sense first appears c. 1986 in the Daily Telegraph. The correct English form is multitask, spelled M-U-L-T-I-T-A-S-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    Handling or involving multiple tasks at once.

Etymology

From multi- + task. The adjectival sense in computing first appears c. 1965 in the publications of B.I. Witt. The verbal sense first appears c. 1986 in the Daily Telegraph.

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 "multitask"?
"multitask" is spelled M-U-L-T-I-T-A-S-K.
What does "multitask" mean?
As an adjective, "multitask" means: Handling or involving multiple tasks at once.
What is the origin of the word "multitask"?
From multi- + task. The adjectival sense in computing first appears c. 1965 in the publications of B.I. Witt. The verbal sense first appears c. 1986 in the Daily Telegraph. 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 "multitask", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

motorboat#53,118Nollywood#53,138metrology#53,100Methodism#53,099

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list