palette

/ˈpælɪt/

//ˈpælɪt// noun

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

"palette" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“palette” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,587 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#10,587
frequency rank, English
7
letters
8
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A thin board on which a painter lays and mixes colours.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

palette vs Platte
57% similar
palette vs palmetto
75% similar
palette vs pallet
57% similar

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

Key facts for palette
PropertyValue
Headwordpalette
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpælɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#10,587
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “palette” 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). palette 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 palette is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpælɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,587 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for palette, with forms such as "aplette", "paeltte", and "palete". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "Platte", "palmetto", "pallet", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French palette. Doublet of pallet. The correct English form is palette, spelled P-A-L-E-T-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A thin board on which a painter lays and mixes colours.
  2. 2
    A set of colours available to be used (or mixed).
  3. 3
    The range of colors in a given work or item or body of work.
  4. 4
    The range of tones or tone colors in a given musical composition or performance.
  5. 5
    A set of makeup including a variety of colors, often packaged together in a tray.
  6. 6
    A visual selection of colours, tools, commands, etc.
  7. 7
    A plate of armour covering the points of junction at the bend of the shoulders and elbows.
  8. 8
    A plate against which a person presses their chest to give force to a hand-operated drill.
  9. 9
    Any set or group of limited choices, options, or tasks from all ones that are currently available.

Etymology

Borrowed from French palette. Doublet of pallet.

This word in other languages

paleta(Español)palette(Français)Farbpalette(Deutsch)paleta(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aplette,paeltte,palete,paletet,pallette,paltete,plaette,ppalette

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of palette - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

aplette2paeltte2palete1paletet2pallette1paltete2plaette2ppalette1
Edit distance from "palette"

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 "palette"?
"palette" is spelled P-A-L-E-T-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpælɪt/.
What does "palette" mean?
As a noun, "palette" means: A thin board on which a painter lays and mixes colours.
What words are commonly confused with "palette"?
"palette" is commonly confused with "Platte", "palmetto", "pallet". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "palette"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "palette" is /ˈpælɪt/. 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 "palette"?
Borrowed from French palette. Doublet of pallet. 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 “palette”

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

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