penalties

/ˈpɛnəltiz/

//ˈpɛnəltiz// noun

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

The verdict

“penalties” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,278 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,278
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - plural of penalty

Key facts for penalties
PropertyValue
Headwordpenalties
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɛnəltiz/
Letters9
Frequency rank#6,278
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “penalties” 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). penalties 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 penalties is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɛnəltiz/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,278 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "plural of penalty".

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for penalties, with forms such as "epnalties", "peanlties", and "penalites". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is penalties, spelled P-E-N-A-L-T-I-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    plural of penalty

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epnalties,peanlties,penalites,penallties,penalteis,penaltiess,penaltise,penaltties,penatlies,penlaties,pennalties,pnealties,ppenalties

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epnalties2peanlties2penalites2penallties1penalteis2penaltiess1penaltise2penaltties1
Edit distance from "penalties"

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 "penalties"?
"penalties" is spelled P-E-N-A-L-T-I-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɛnəltiz/.
What does "penalties" mean?
As a noun, "penalties" means: plural of penalty
What are common misspellings of "penalties"?
Common misspellings include "epnalties", "peanlties", "penalites", "penallties", "penalteis". The correct spelling is "penalties".
How do you pronounce "penalties"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "penalties" is /ˈpɛnəltiz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "penalties" come from?
"penalties" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “penalties”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-E-N-A-L-T-I-E-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpɛnəltiz/ (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
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