plagiarism

/ˈpleɪd͡ʒəɹɪzəm/

//ˈpleɪd͡ʒəɹɪzəm// noun

"plagiarism" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“plagiarism” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #21,617 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#21,617
frequency rank, English
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Copying of another person's ideas, text, or other creative work, and presenting it as one's own, especially without permission; plagiarizing.

Key facts for plagiarism
PropertyValue
Headwordplagiarism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpleɪd͡ʒəɹɪzəm/
Letters10
Frequency rank#21,617
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “plagiarism” 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). plagiarism 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 plagiarism is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpleɪd͡ʒəɹɪzəm/. Corpus data places it at rank #21,617 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for plagiarism, with forms such as "lpagiarism", "palgiarism", and "plagairism". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From plagiary + -ism. The correct English form is plagiarism, spelled P-L-A-G-I-A-R-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Copying of another person's ideas, text, or other creative work, and presenting it as one's own, especially without permission; plagiarizing.
  2. 2
    Text or other work resulting from this act.
  3. 3
    The instance of plagiarism.

Etymology

From plagiary + -ism.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lpagiarism,palgiarism,plagairism,plaggiarism,plagiairsm,plagiarims,plagiarismm,plagiarissm,plagiarrism,plagiarsim,plagiraism,plaigarism,plgaiarism,pllagiarism,pplagiarism

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lpagiarism2palgiarism2plagairism2plaggiarism1plagiairsm2plagiarims2plagiarismm1plagiarissm1
Edit distance from "plagiarism"

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 "plagiarism"?
"plagiarism" is spelled P-L-A-G-I-A-R-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpleɪd͡ʒəɹɪzəm/.
What does "plagiarism" mean?
As a noun, "plagiarism" means: Copying of another person's ideas, text, or other creative work, and presenting it as one's own, especially without permission; plagiarizing.
What are common misspellings of "plagiarism"?
Common misspellings include "lpagiarism", "palgiarism", "plagairism", "plaggiarism", "plagiairsm". The correct spelling is "plagiarism".
How do you pronounce "plagiarism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "plagiarism" is /ˈpleɪd͡ʒəɹɪzəm/. 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 "plagiarism"?
From plagiary + -ism. 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 “plagiarism”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-L-A-G-I-A-R-I-S-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpleɪd͡ʒəɹɪzəm/ (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