quotidian

/kwə(ʊ)ˈtɪdɪən/

//kwə(ʊ)ˈtɪdɪən// adj

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

The verdict

“quotidian” is an uncommon English word, ranked #72,684 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#72,684
frequency rank, English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Happening every day; daily.

Key facts for quotidian
PropertyValue
Headwordquotidian
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/kwə(ʊ)ˈtɪdɪən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#72,684
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “quotidian” 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). quotidian 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 quotidian is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /kwə(ʊ)ˈtɪdɪən/. Corpus data places it at rank #72,684 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

quotidian doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. 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 Anglo-Norman cotidian, cotidien, Middle French cotidian, cotidien, and their source, Latin cottīdiānus, quōtīdiānus (“happening every day”), from adverb cottīdiē, quōtīdiē (“every day, daily”), from an unattested adjective derived from quot (“how many”… The correct English form is quotidian, spelled Q-U-O-T-I-D-I-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Happening every day; daily.
  2. 2
    Having the characteristics of something which can be seen, experienced, etc, every day or very commonly.
  3. 3
    Recurring every twenty-four hours or (more generally) daily (of symptoms, etc).
  4. 4
    Something which is considered humdrum or dull.

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman cotidian, cotidien, Middle French cotidian, cotidien, and their source, Latin cottīdiānus, quōtīdiānus (“happening every day”), from adverb cottīdiē, quōtīdiē (“every day, daily”), from an unattested adjective derived from quot (“how many”) + locative form of diēs (“day”).

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); 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 "quotidian"?
"quotidian" is spelled Q-U-O-T-I-D-I-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /kwə(ʊ)ˈtɪdɪən/.
What does "quotidian" mean?
As an adjective, "quotidian" means: Happening every day; daily.
How do you pronounce "quotidian"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "quotidian" is /kwə(ʊ)ˈtɪdɪən/. 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 "quotidian"?
From Anglo-Norman cotidian, cotidien, Middle French cotidian, cotidien, and their source, Latin cottīdiānus, quōtīdiānus (“happening every day”), from adverb cottīdiē, quōtīdiē (“every day, daily”), from an unattested adjective derived from quot (... 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 “quotidian”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is Q-U-O-T-I-D-I-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kwə(ʊ)ˈtɪdɪən/ (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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list