posterity

/pɒˈstɛɹɪti/

//pɒˈstɛɹɪti// noun

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

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

The verdict

“posterity” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,183. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,183
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - All the future generations, especially the descendants of a specific person.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

posterity vs prosperity
80% similar
posterity vs posterior
78% similar

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

Key facts for posterity
PropertyValue
Headwordposterity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɒˈstɛɹɪti/
Letters9
Frequency rank#30,183
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “posterity” 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). posterity lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around posterity (IPA /pɒˈstɛɹɪti/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #30,183 among 46,516 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for posterity, with forms such as "opsterity", "posetrity", and "possterity". 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. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "prosperity", "posterior", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Late 14th century, from Middle French posterité, from Latin posteritas, from posterus (“following, coming after”), from post (“after”) (English post-). The correct English form is posterity, spelled P-O-S-T-E-R-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    All the future generations, especially the descendants of a specific person.
  2. 2
    Future audiences, future times, future recognition.

Etymology

Late 14th century, from Middle French posterité, from Latin posteritas, from posterus (“following, coming after”), from post (“after”) (English post-).

This word in other languages

posteridad(Español)postérité(Français)Nachwelt(Deutsch)posteridade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • opsterity
  • posetrity
  • possterity
  • posteirty
  • posteritty
  • posterityy
  • posteriyt
  • posterrity
  • postertiy
  • postreity
  • postterity
  • potserity
  • pposterity
  • psoterity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

opsterity2posetrity2possterity1posteirty2posteritty1posterityy1posteriyt2posterrity1
Edit distance from "posterity"

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 "posterity"?
"posterity" is spelled P-O-S-T-E-R-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /pɒˈstɛɹɪti/.
What does "posterity" mean?
As a noun, "posterity" means: All the future generations, especially the descendants of a specific person.
What words are commonly confused with "posterity"?
"posterity" is commonly confused with "prosperity", "posterior". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "posterity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "posterity" is /pɒˈstɛɹɪti/. 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 "posterity"?
Late 14th century, from Middle French posterité, from Latin posteritas, from posterus (“following, coming after”), from post (“after”) (English post-). 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 “posterity”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-O-S-T-E-R-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɒˈstɛɹɪti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “prosperity” - see the side-by-side comparison. posterity vs prosperity
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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