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platform

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

8 characters

Language

English

word origin

Source

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "platform", 8-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "platform" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "platform" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

platform is aEnglishnoun. It means: A raised stage from which speeches are made and on which musical and other performances are made. Pronounced /ˈplætfɔːm/. It ranks #2,170 in English word frequency. Often confused with platformer.

Key facts for platform
PropertyValue
Headwordplatform
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈplætfɔːm/
Letters8
Frequency rank#2,170
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency rank visualization

Position of platform in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for platform is 8 letters long, classified as anoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈplætfɔːm/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,170 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text.Wiktionary records 14 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 13 documented wrong-spelling variants for platform, with forms such as "lpatform", "paltform", and "plaftorm". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "platformer", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French plateforme (“a flat form”), from plate (“flat”) (from Old French plat, from Ancient Greek πλατύς (platús, “flat”)) + forme (“form”) (from Latin fōrma (“shape; figure; form”)); compare flatscape. Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is platform, spelled P-L-A-T-F-O-R-M, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    A raised stage from which speeches are made and on which musical and other performances are made.
  2. 2
    A raised floor for any purpose, e.g. for workmen during construction, or formerly for military cannon.
  3. 3
    A place or an opportunity to express one's opinion.
  4. 4
    Something that allows an enterprise to advance.
  5. 5
    A political stance on a broad set of issues, which are called planks.
  6. 6
    A raised structure or other area alongside rails or a driveway alongside which vehicles stop to take in and discharge passengers.
  7. 7
    Ellipsis of platform shoe (“a kind of high shoe with an extra layer between the inner and outer soles”).
  8. 8
    A software system used to provide online services to clients, such as social media, e-commerce, or cloud computing.
  9. 9
    A particular operating system or environment such as a database or other specific software; a particular type of computer or microprocessor, used for running other software.
  10. 10
    Ellipsis of car platform (“a set of components shared by several vehicle models”).
  11. 11
    A flat expanse of rock, often the result of wave erosion.
  12. 12
    A light deck, usually placed in a section of the hold or over the floor of the magazine.
  13. 13
    A plan; a sketch; a model; a pattern.
  14. 14
    A sidewalk.

Etymology

From Middle French plateforme (“a flat form”), from plate (“flat”) (from Old French plat, from Ancient Greek πλατύς (platús, “flat”)) + forme (“form”) (from Latin fōrma (“shape; figure; form”)); compare flatscape.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lpatform,paltform,plaftorm,platfform,platfomr,platformm,platforrm,platfrom,platofrm,plattform,pllatform,pltaform,pplatform

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for platform

Misspelling Variants of "platform"

lpatform8paltform8plaftorm8platfform9platfomr8platformm9platforrm9platfrom8
Misspelling Variants of "platform"

Frequency rank: #2,170 in English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "platform"?
"platform" is spelled P-L-A-T-F-O-R-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈplætfɔːm/.
What does "platform" mean?
As a noun, "platform" means: A raised stage from which speeches are made and on which musical and other performances are made.
What words are commonly confused with "platform"?
"platform" is commonly confused with "platformer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "platform"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "platform" is /ˈplætfɔːm/. 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 "platform"?
From Middle French plateforme (“a flat form”), from plate (“flat”) (from Old French plat, from Ancient Greek πλατύς (platús, “flat”)) + forme (“form”) (from Latin fōrma (“shape; figure; form”)); compare flatscape. 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.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter P in our English index:

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.