quitter

/ˈkwɪ.tə/

//ˈkwɪ.tə// noun

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

The verdict

“quitter” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #49,577 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#49,577
frequency rank, English
7
letters
8
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Matter flowing from a wound or sore; pus.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

quitter vs quiver
71% similar
quitter vs quite
71% similar
quitter vs quarter
71% similar

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

Key facts for quitter
PropertyValue
Headwordquitter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkwɪ.tə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#49,577
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “quitter” 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). quitter 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 quitter is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkwɪ.tə/. Corpus data places it at rank #49,577 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for quitter, with forms such as "qiutter", "qquitter", and "quiter". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "quiver", "quite", "quarter", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English quitter, from Anglo-Norman quiture, quyture et al., specialised use of quiture (“burn mark, burning”), from the participle stem of cuire (“to cook”), or from Latin coctura (“cooking”). The correct English form is quitter, spelled Q-U-I-T-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Matter flowing from a wound or sore; pus.
  2. 2
    Alternative spelling of quittor (“fistulous wound at the top of a horse's foot”).
  3. 3
    Scoria of tin.

Etymology

From Middle English quitter, from Anglo-Norman quiture, quyture et al., specialised use of quiture (“burn mark, burning”), from the participle stem of cuire (“to cook”), or from Latin coctura (“cooking”).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: qiutter,qquitter,quiter,quitetr,quitterr,quittre,qutiter,uqitter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

qiutter2qquitter1quiter1quitetr2quitterr1quittre2qutiter2uqitter2
Edit distance from "quitter"

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 "quitter"?
"quitter" is spelled Q-U-I-T-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkwɪ.tə/.
What does "quitter" mean?
As a noun, "quitter" means: Matter flowing from a wound or sore; pus.
What words are commonly confused with "quitter"?
"quitter" is commonly confused with "quiver", "quite", "quarter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "quitter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "quitter" is /ˈkwɪ.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 "quitter"?
From Middle English quitter, from Anglo-Norman quiture, quyture et al., specialised use of quiture (“burn mark, burning”), from the participle stem of cuire (“to cook”), or from Latin coctura (“cooking”). 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 “quitter”

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

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