serendipity

/ˌsɛɹ.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ti/

//ˌsɛɹ.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ti// noun

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

"serendipity" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“serendipity” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #40,016 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#40,016
frequency rank, English
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The phenomenon of making an unplanned, fortunate discovery through a combination of unexpected circumstances and insightful recognition.

Key facts for serendipity
PropertyValue
Headwordserendipity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌsɛɹ.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ti/
Letters11
Frequency rank#40,016
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “serendipity” 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). serendipity 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 serendipity is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌsɛɹ.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ti/. Corpus data places it at rank #40,016 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 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for serendipity, with forms such as "esrendipity", "seerndipity", and "serednipity". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Serendip (“variant of Serendib: Ceylon, Sri Lanka”) + -ity. Coined by English writer and politician Horace Walpole in 1754 based on the Persian story of The Three Princes of Serendip, who (Walpole wrote to a friend) were “always making discoveries, by … The correct English form is serendipity, spelled S-E-R-E-N-D-I-P-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The phenomenon of making an unplanned, fortunate discovery through a combination of unexpected circumstances and insightful recognition.
  2. 2
    An unsought, unintended or unexpected, but fortunate, discovery or learning experience that occurs by accident.
  3. 3
    The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

Etymology

From Serendip (“variant of Serendib: Ceylon, Sri Lanka”) + -ity. Coined by English writer and politician Horace Walpole in 1754 based on the Persian story of The Three Princes of Serendip, who (Walpole wrote to a friend) were “always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of”.

This word in other languages

serendipia(Español)sérendipité(Français)Serendipität(Deutsch)eventualidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: esrendipity,seerndipity,serednipity,serenddipity,serendiipty,serendipitty,serendipityy,serendipiyt,serendippity,serendiptiy,serendpiity,serenidpity,serenndipity,sernedipity,serrendipity,sreendipity,sserendipity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

esrendipity2seerndipity2serednipity2serenddipity1serendiipty2serendipitty1serendipityy1serendipiyt2
Edit distance from "serendipity"

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 "serendipity"?
"serendipity" is spelled S-E-R-E-N-D-I-P-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌsɛɹ.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ti/.
What does "serendipity" mean?
As a noun, "serendipity" means: The phenomenon of making an unplanned, fortunate discovery through a combination of unexpected circumstances and insightful recognition.
What are common misspellings of "serendipity"?
Common misspellings include "esrendipity", "seerndipity", "serednipity", "serenddipity", "serendiipty". The correct spelling is "serendipity".
How do you pronounce "serendipity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "serendipity" is /ˌsɛɹ.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ti/. 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 "serendipity"?
From Serendip (“variant of Serendib: Ceylon, Sri Lanka”) + -ity. Coined by English writer and politician Horace Walpole in 1754 based on the Persian story of The Three Princes of Serendip, who (Walpole wrote to a friend) were “always making discov... 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 “serendipity”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-E-R-E-N-D-I-P-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌsɛɹ.ənˈdɪp.ɪ.ti/ (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