note

/nəʊt/

//nəʊt// noun

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

"note" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“note” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #973 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#973
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A symbol or annotation.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

note vs NT
0% similar
note vs now
50% similar
note vs nov
50% similar

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

Key facts for note
PropertyValue
Headwordnote
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/nəʊt/
Letters4
Frequency rank#973
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “note” 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). note lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for note is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /nəʊt/. Corpus data places it at rank #973 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 23 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for note, with forms such as "nnote", "noet", and "notte". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "NT", "now", "nov", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English note, from Old English not, nōt (“note, mark, sign”) and Old French note (“letter, note”), both from Latin nota (“mark, sign, remark, note”). The correct English form is note, spelled N-O-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A symbol or annotation.
  2. 2
    A symbol or annotation.
  3. 3
    A symbol or annotation.
  4. 4
    A symbol or annotation.
  5. 5
    A written or printed communication or commitment.
  6. 6
    A written or printed communication or commitment.
  7. 7
    A written or printed communication or commitment.
  8. 8
    A written or printed communication or commitment.
  9. 9
    A written or printed communication or commitment.
  10. 10
    A written or printed communication or commitment.
  11. 11
    A written or printed communication or commitment.
  12. 12
    A written or printed communication or commitment.
  13. 13
    A sound.
  14. 14
    A sound.
  15. 15
    A sound.
  16. 16
    A sound.
  17. 17
    A sound.
  18. 18
    An element of a scent, fragrance, or perfume, especially as a descriptor or category.
  19. 19
    Observation; notice; heed.
  20. 20
    Reputation; distinction.
  21. 21
    A critical comment.
  22. 22
    Notification; information; intelligence.
  23. 23
    Mark of disgrace.

Etymology

From Middle English note, from Old English not, nōt (“note, mark, sign”) and Old French note (“letter, note”), both from Latin nota (“mark, sign, remark, note”).

Synonyms

blemishblotbrandreproachstainstigmataintattentionmarkattention

This word in other languages

nota(Español)note(Français)Notiz(Deutsch)nota(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: nnote,noet,notte,ntoe,onte

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of note - 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.

nnote1noet2notte1ntoe2onte2
Edit distance from "note"

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 "note"?
"note" is spelled N-O-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /nəʊt/.
What does "note" mean?
As a noun, "note" means: A symbol or annotation.
What words are commonly confused with "note"?
"note" is commonly confused with "NT", "now", "nov". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "note"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "note" is /nəʊt/. 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 "note"?
From Middle English note, from Old English not, nōt (“note, mark, sign”) and Old French note (“letter, note”), both from Latin nota (“mark, sign, remark, note”). 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 “note”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is N-O-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /nəʊt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “NT” - see the side-by-side comparison. note vs NT
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list