reality

/ɹiːˈælɪti/

//ɹiːˈælɪti// noun

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

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

The verdict

“reality” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,375 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,375
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state of being actual or real; realness.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

reality vs really
71% similar
reality vs realty
86% similar
reality vs realize
71% similar

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

Key facts for reality
PropertyValue
Headwordreality
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹiːˈælɪti/
Letters7
Frequency rank#1,375
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “reality” 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). reality 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 reality is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɹiːˈælɪti/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,375 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 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 reality, with forms such as "erality", "raelity", and "reailty". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "really", "realty", "realize", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French réalité (“quality of being real”), from Middle French realité (“property, possession”), from Medieval Latin reālitās, from Late Latin reālis (“real”), equivalent to real + -ity. Recorded since 1550 as a legal term in the sense of “fixed property… The correct English form is reality, spelled R-E-A-L-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being actual or real; realness.
  2. 2
    The real world.
  3. 3
    A real entity, event, or other fact.
  4. 4
    The entirety of all that is real.
  5. 5
    An individual observer's own subjective perception of that which is real.
  6. 6
    Loyalty; devotion.
  7. 7
    Realty; real estate.
  8. 8
    Reality television.

Etymology

From French réalité (“quality of being real”), from Middle French realité (“property, possession”), from Medieval Latin reālitās, from Late Latin reālis (“real”), equivalent to real + -ity. Recorded since 1550 as a legal term in the sense of “fixed property” (compare real estate, realty); the sense “real existence” is attested from 1647. First attested in c. 1540.

Synonyms

truthactuality

Antonyms

fantasy

This word in other languages

realidad(Español)réalité(Français)Wirklichkeit(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: erality,raelity,reailty,realitty,realityy,realiyt,reallity,realtiy,relaity,rreality

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of reality - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

erality2raelity2reailty2realitty1realityy1realiyt2reallity1realtiy2
Edit distance from "reality"

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 "reality"?
"reality" is spelled R-E-A-L-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹiːˈælɪti/.
What does "reality" mean?
As a noun, "reality" means: The state of being actual or real; realness.
What words are commonly confused with "reality"?
"reality" is commonly confused with "really", "realty", "realize". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "reality"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "reality" is /ɹiːˈælɪti/. 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 "reality"?
From French réalité (“quality of being real”), from Middle French realité (“property, possession”), from Medieval Latin reālitās, from Late Latin reālis (“real”), equivalent to real + -ity. Recorded since 1550 as a legal term in the sense of “fixe... 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 “reality”

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

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