# polite

> English word · Adjective · IPA /pəˈlaɪt/ · frequency rank #8,074

## Definitions
1. Well-mannered, civilized.
2. Smooth, polished, burnished.

## Etymology
From Latin polītus (“polished”), past participle of poliō (“to polish, smooth”); see polish.

## Easily confused with
- **Porte** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/polite-vs-porte)
- **posit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/polite-vs-posit)
- **Ponte** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/polite-vs-ponte)
- **polity** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/polite-vs-polity)
- **pyrite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/polite-vs-pyrite)
- **pollute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/polite-vs-pollute)
- **politic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/polite-vs-politic)
- **politely** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/polite-vs-politely)
- **pole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pole-vs-polite)
- **plate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plate-vs-polite)
- **polio** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/polio-vs-polite)
- **poise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poise-vs-polite)
- **police** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/police-vs-polite)
- **policy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/policy-vs-polite)
- **Polish** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/polish-vs-polite)
- **petite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/petite-vs-polite)
- **palate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/palate-vs-polite)
- **pointe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pointe-vs-polite)
- **Pilate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pilate-vs-polite)
- **polices** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/polices-vs-polite)

## Common misspellings (8)
`oplite`, `ploite`, `poilte`, `poliet`, `politte`, `pollite`, `poltie`, `ppolite`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/polite