quarter

/ˈk(w)ɔː.tə/

//ˈk(w)ɔː.tə// noun

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

"quarter" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“quarter” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,963 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,963
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A fourth part of something.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

quarter vs quartz
71% similar
quarter vs quartet
86% similar
quarter vs quieter
71% similar

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

Key facts for quarter
PropertyValue
Headwordquarter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈk(w)ɔː.tə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,963
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “quarter” 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). quarter 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 quarter is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈk(w)ɔː.tə/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,963 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 26 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for quarter, with forms such as "qaurter", "qquarter", and "quaretr". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "quartz", "quartet", "quieter", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English quarter, from Anglo-Norman quarter, from Latin quartarius, from quartus. Compare Spanish cuarto (“room, quarters; quarter”). Doublet of quartier. The correct English form is quarter, spelled Q-U-A-R-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A fourth part of something.
  2. 2
    A fourth part of something.
  3. 3
    A fourth part of something.
  4. 4
    A fourth part of something.
  5. 5
    A fourth part of something.
  6. 6
    A fourth part of something.
  7. 7
    A fourth part of something.
  8. 8
    A fourth part of something.
  9. 9
    A fourth part of something.
  10. 10
    A fourth part of something.
  11. 11
    A fourth part of something.
  12. 12
    A fourth part of something.
  13. 13
    Place or position.
  14. 14
    Place or position.
  15. 15
    Place or position.
  16. 16
    Place or position.
  17. 17
    Place or position.
  18. 18
    Place or position.
  19. 19
    Place or position.
  20. 20
    The back and sides of the upper of a shoe, extending around the wearer's heel to meet the vamp.
  21. 21
    A section (of a population), especially one having a particular set of values or interests.
  22. 22
    Relations between people.
  23. 23
    Accommodation given to a defeated opponent; mercy; exemption from being killed.
  24. 24
    A quarterback.
  25. 25
    A quartermaster; a quartermaster sergeant.
  26. 26
    A quarterfinal.

Etymology

From Middle English quarter, from Anglo-Norman quarter, from Latin quartarius, from quartus. Compare Spanish cuarto (“room, quarters; quarter”). Doublet of quartier.

Synonyms

fourthfourth partone-fourthone-quarter¼trimestercourdistrictwardneighborhoodghettoboroughcapitoulate

This word in other languages

cuarto(Español)quart(Français)Viertel(Deutsch)quarto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: qaurter,qquarter,quaretr,quarrter,quarterr,quartre,quartter,quatrer,qurater,uqarter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

qaurter2qquarter1quaretr2quarrter1quarterr1quartre2quartter1quatrer2
Edit distance from "quarter"

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 "quarter"?
"quarter" is spelled Q-U-A-R-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈk(w)ɔː.tə/.
What does "quarter" mean?
As a noun, "quarter" means: A fourth part of something.
What words are commonly confused with "quarter"?
"quarter" is commonly confused with "quartz", "quartet", "quieter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "quarter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "quarter" is /ˈk(w)ɔː.tə/. 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 "quarter"?
From Middle English quarter, from Anglo-Norman quarter, from Latin quartarius, from quartus. Compare Spanish cuarto (“room, quarters; quarter”). Doublet of quartier. 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 “quarter”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is Q-U-A-R-T-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈk(w)ɔː.tə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “quartz” - see the side-by-side comparison. quarter vs quartz
  • 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