multitask

adj

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

The verdict

“multitask” is uncommon English (frequency #53,121 among 36,575 “M” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,121
frequency rank, English
36,575
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Handling or involving multiple tasks at once.

Key facts for multitask
PropertyValue
Headwordmultitask
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters9
Frequency rank#53,121
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “multitask” 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). multitask 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

multitask is uncommon English at frequency #53,121 among 36,575 “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.

Using “multitask”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is M-U-L-T-I-T-A-S-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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