statute

/ˈstatjuːt/

//ˈstatjuːt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“statute” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,257 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#9,257
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A written law or ordinance passed by a legislative body.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

statute vs statutes
88% similar
statute vs state
71% similar
statute vs status
71% similar

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

Key facts for statute
PropertyValue
Headwordstatute
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈstatjuːt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#9,257
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “statute” 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). statute 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 statute is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈstatjuːt/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,257 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for statute, with forms such as "sattute", "sstatute", and "stattute". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "statutes", "state", "status", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English statut, from Old French statut, from Late Latin statutum (“a statute”), neuter singular of Latin statutus, past participle of statuō (“I set up, establish”). The correct English form is statute, spelled S-T-A-T-U-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A written law or ordinance passed by a legislative body.
  2. 2
    A rule of an organization or institution.
  3. 3
    A law or decree made by a sovereign, or by God.
  4. 4
    A (theoretical) type of statutory law specified as regulating a person or thing.
  5. 5
    A (theoretical) type of statutory law specified as regulating a person or thing.
  6. 6
    A statute fair.

Etymology

From Middle English statut, from Old French statut, from Late Latin statutum (“a statute”), neuter singular of Latin statutus, past participle of statuō (“I set up, establish”).

This word in other languages

estatuto(Español)statut(Français)Statut(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: sattute,sstatute,stattute,statuet,statutte,stautte,sttatute,sttaute,tsatute

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

sattute2sstatute1stattute1statuet2statutte1stautte2sttatute1sttaute2
Edit distance from "statute"

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 "statute"?
"statute" is spelled S-T-A-T-U-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstatjuːt/.
What does "statute" mean?
As a noun, "statute" means: A written law or ordinance passed by a legislative body.
What words are commonly confused with "statute"?
"statute" is commonly confused with "statutes", "state", "status". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "statute"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "statute" is /ˈstatjuːt/. 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 "statute"?
From Middle English statut, from Old French statut, from Late Latin statutum (“a statute”), neuter singular of Latin statutus, past participle of statuō (“I set up, establish”). 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 “statute”

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

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