preterite
/ˈpɹɛtəɹɪt/
"preterite" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“preterite” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Showing an action at a determined moment in the past.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | preterite |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈpɹɛtəɹɪt/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “preterite” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for preterite is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɹɛtəɹɪt/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No generated misspelling entries exist for preterite in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English preterit, from Old French preterit (13th century), from Latin praeteritum (as in tempus praeteritum (“time past”)), the past participle of praetereō (“to go by, go past”), itself from praeter (“beyond, before, above, more than”) (compara… The correct English form is preterite, spelled P-R-E-T-E-R-I-T-E.
Definition
- 1Showing an action at a determined moment in the past.
- 2Belonging wholly to the past; passed by.
Etymology
From Middle English preterit, from Old French preterit (13th century), from Latin praeteritum (as in tempus praeteritum (“time past”)), the past participle of praetereō (“to go by, go past”), itself from praeter (“beyond, before, above, more than”) (comparative of prae (“before”)) + itum (the past participle of eō (“to go”)).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "preterite"?
What does "preterite" mean?
How do you pronounce "preterite"?
What is the origin of the word "preterite"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “preterite”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-R-E-T-E-R-I-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpɹɛtəɹɪt/ (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.