petty

/ˈpɛt.i/

//ˈpɛt.i// adj

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

"petty" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“petty” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,394 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#6,394
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having little or no importance.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

petty vs pity
60% similar
petty vs Pitt
40% similar
petty vs putt
60% similar

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

Key facts for petty
PropertyValue
Headwordpetty
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpɛt.i/
Letters5
Frequency rank#6,394
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “petty” 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). petty 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 petty is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɛt.i/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,394 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for petty, with forms such as "eptty", "pettyy", and "pety". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "pity", "Pitt", "putt", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: The adjective is derived from Middle English peti, pety (“little, small; minor”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman petit, Middle French petit, and Old French peti, petit, pitet (“young; little, small; inferior; insignificant”) (modern French petit), ulti… The correct English form is petty, spelled P-E-T-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having little or no importance.
  2. 2
    Of persons or their behaviour: marked by or reflective of undesirably limited interests, sympathies, or views; begrudging, selfish, small-minded; also, preoccupied with subjects having little or no importance and not mindful of broader concerns.
  3. 3
    Inclined to cause frustration or annoyance to others out of spite over minor grievances; extremely vindictive.
  4. 4
    Of or relating to the lowest grade or level of school; junior, primary.
  5. 5
    Little or small in size.
  6. 6
    Secondary in importance or rank; minor, subordinate.

Etymology

The adjective is derived from Middle English peti, pety (“little, small; minor”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman petit, Middle French petit, and Old French peti, petit, pitet (“young; little, small; inferior; insignificant”) (modern French petit), ultimately of imitative origin. It is no longer thought that the word is derived from Celtic. Doublet of petit and petite. The noun is derived from the adjective.

This word in other languages

quinqui(Español)petit(Français)gering(Deutsch)fútil(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eptty,pettyy,pety,petyt,ppetty,ptety

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eptty2pettyy1pety1petyt2ppetty1ptety2
Edit distance from "petty"

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 "petty"?
"petty" is spelled P-E-T-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɛt.i/.
What does "petty" mean?
As an adjective, "petty" means: Having little or no importance.
What words are commonly confused with "petty"?
"petty" is commonly confused with "pity", "Pitt", "putt". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "petty"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "petty" is /ˈpɛt.i/. 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 "petty"?
The adjective is derived from Middle English peti, pety (“little, small; minor”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman petit, Middle French petit, and Old French peti, petit, pitet (“young; little, small; inferior; insignificant”) (modern French pe... 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 “petty”

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

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