spaghetti

Name: spaghetti, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/spəˈɡɛti/

//spəˈɡɛti// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“spaghetti” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,143 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,143
frequency rank, English: 9
letters: 12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A type of pasta made in the shape of long thin strings.

Key facts for spaghetti
Property	Value
Headword	spaghetti
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/spəˈɡɛti/
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#12,143
Misspellings tracked	12
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “spaghetti” 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). spaghetti lands here:

#12,143

#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 spaghetti is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /spəˈɡɛti/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,143 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for spaghetti, with forms such as "psaghetti", "sapghetti", and "spagehtti". 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. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is borrowed from Italian spaghetti, the plural of spaghetto (“dish of spaghetti; (rare) strand of spaghetti”), from spago (“cord, string, twine; thread”) + -etto (diminutive suffix). Spago is derived from Latin spagus (“twine”), probably from Ancie… The correct English form is spaghetti, spelled S-P-A-G-H-E-T-T-I.

Definition

1
A type of pasta made in the shape of long thin strings.
2
A type of pasta made in the shape of long thin strings.
3
Denoting Italianness.
4
Denoting Italianness.
5
Something physically resembling spaghetti (noun 1 sense 1) in appearance or consistency, or in being tangled.
6
Something physically resembling spaghetti (noun 1 sense 1) in appearance or consistency, or in being tangled.
7
Something physically resembling spaghetti (noun 1 sense 1) in appearance or consistency, or in being tangled.
8
Something confusing or intricate.
9
Something confusing or intricate.

Etymology

The noun is borrowed from Italian spaghetti, the plural of spaghetto (“dish of spaghetti; (rare) strand of spaghetti”), from spago (“cord, string, twine; thread”) + -etto (diminutive suffix). Spago is derived from Latin spagus (“twine”), probably from Ancient Greek σφάκος (sphákos, “apple sage (Salvia pomifera)”), probably from Pre-Greek. The verb is derived from the noun.

This word in other languages

espagueti(Español)spaghettis(Français)Spaghetti(Deutsch)spaghetti(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: psaghetti,sapghetti,spagehtti,spagghetti,spagheti,spaghetit,spaghhetti,spaghteti,spahgetti,spgahetti,sppaghetti,sspaghetti

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of spaghetti - 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.

Edit distance from "spaghetti"

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 "spaghetti"?

"spaghetti" is spelled S-P-A-G-H-E-T-T-I. The IPA pronunciation is /spəˈɡɛti/.

What does "spaghetti" mean?

As a noun, "spaghetti" means: A type of pasta made in the shape of long thin strings.

What are common misspellings of "spaghetti"?

Common misspellings include "psaghetti", "sapghetti", "spagehtti", "spagghetti", "spagheti". The correct spelling is "spaghetti".

How do you pronounce "spaghetti"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "spaghetti" is /spəˈɡɛti/. 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 "spaghetti"?

The noun is borrowed from Italian spaghetti, the plural of spaghetto (“dish of spaghetti; (rare) strand of spaghetti”), from spago (“cord, string, twine; thread”) + -etto (diminutive suffix). Spago is derived from Latin spagus (“twine”), probably ... 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 “spaghetti”

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

The one correct English spelling is S-P-A-G-H-E-T-T-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /spəˈɡɛti/ (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.