servitude

/ˈsɜːvɪtʃuːd/

//ˈsɜːvɪtʃuːd// noun

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

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

The verdict

“servitude” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #28,015 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#28,015
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state of being a slave; slavery; being forced to work for others or do their bidding without one's consent or against one's will, either in perpetuity or for a period of time over which one has...

Key facts for servitude
PropertyValue
Headwordservitude
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɜːvɪtʃuːd/
Letters9
Frequency rank#28,015
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “servitude” 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). servitude 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 servitude is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɜːvɪtʃuːd/. Corpus data places it at rank #28,015 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for servitude, with forms such as "esrvitude", "serivtude", and "serrvitude". 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. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French servitude, from Latin servitūdō, from Latin servus (“slave”). Equivalent to serve + -itude. The correct English form is servitude, spelled S-E-R-V-I-T-U-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being a slave; slavery; being forced to work for others or do their bidding without one's consent or against one's will, either in perpetuity or for a period of time over which one has little or no control.
  2. 2
    A qualified beneficial interest severed or fragmented from the ownership of an inferior property and attached to a superior property or to some person other than the owner; the most common form is an easement.
  3. 3
    Service rendered in the army or navy.
  4. 4
    Servants collectively.
  5. 5
    The act of serving (food or drink, etc.); service.

Etymology

From Middle French servitude, from Latin servitūdō, from Latin servus (“slave”). Equivalent to serve + -itude.

Antonyms

autonomy

This word in other languages

servidumbre(Español)servage(Français)Knechtschaft(Deutsch)servidão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: esrvitude,serivtude,serrvitude,servitdue,servittude,servitudde,servitued,serviutde,servtiude,servvitude,sevritude,srevitude,sservitude

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of servitude - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

esrvitude2serivtude2serrvitude1servitdue2servittude1servitudde1servitued2serviutde2
Edit distance from "servitude"

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 "servitude"?
"servitude" is spelled S-E-R-V-I-T-U-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɜːvɪtʃuːd/.
What does "servitude" mean?
As a noun, "servitude" means: The state of being a slave; slavery; being forced to work for others or do their bidding without one's consent or against one's will, either in perpetuity or for a period of time over which one has...
What are common misspellings of "servitude"?
Common misspellings include "esrvitude", "serivtude", "serrvitude", "servitdue", "servittude". The correct spelling is "servitude".
How do you pronounce "servitude"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "servitude" is /ˈsɜːvɪtʃuːd/. 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 "servitude"?
From Middle French servitude, from Latin servitūdō, from Latin servus (“slave”). Equivalent to serve + -itude. 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 “servitude”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-E-R-V-I-T-U-D-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsɜːvɪtʃuːd/ (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