symmetry

/ˈsɪm.ᵻ.tɹi/

//ˈsɪm.ᵻ.tɹi// noun

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

"symmetry" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“symmetry” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,849. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,849
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Exact correspondence on either side of a dividing line, plane, center or axis.

Corpus desk

Index EN-symmetry · symmetry · English

symmetry · rank #14,849 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #14,849
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH syndicate

Nearest frequency peer: syndicate (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “symmetry”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “symmetry” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

symmetry vs symmetric
78% similar

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

Key facts for symmetry
PropertyValue
Headwordsymmetry
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪm.ᵻ.tɹi/
Letters8
Frequency rank#14,849
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “symmetry”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).symmetrylands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “syndicate” (#14,850), “submerged” (#14,847), “stripe” (#14,846). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “symmetry” is #14,849. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around symmetry (IPA /ˈsɪm.ᵻ.tɹi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #14,849 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for symmetry, with forms such as "smymetry", "ssymmetry", and "symemtry". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "symmetric", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin symmetria, from Ancient Greek συμμετρία (summetría), from σύμμετρος (súmmetros, “symmetrical”), from σύν (sún, “with”) + μέτρον (métron, “measure”). By surface analysis, sym- + -metry. The correct English form is symmetry, spelled S-Y-M-M-E-T-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Exact correspondence on either side of a dividing line, plane, center or axis.
  2. 2
    The satisfying arrangement of a balanced distribution of the elements of a whole.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how symmetry appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. She was like a Beardsley Salome, he had said. And indeed she had the narrow eyes and the high cheekbone of that creature, and as nearly the sinuosity as is compatible with human symmetry.

Etymology

From Latin symmetria, from Ancient Greek συμμετρία (summetría), from σύμμετρος (súmmetros, “symmetrical”), from σύν (sún, “with”) + μέτρον (métron, “measure”). By surface analysis, sym- + -metry.

This word in other languages

simetría(Español)symétrie(Français)Symmetrie(Deutsch)simetria(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • smymetry
  • ssymmetry
  • symemtry
  • symetry
  • symmerty
  • symmetrry
  • symmetryy
  • symmettry
  • symmetyr
  • symmtery
  • syymmetry
  • ysmmetry

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

smymetry2ssymmetry1symemtry2symetry1symmerty2symmetrry1symmetryy1symmettry1
Edit distance from "symmetry"

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 "symmetry"?
"symmetry" is spelled S-Y-M-M-E-T-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪm.ᵻ.tɹi/.
What does "symmetry" mean?
As a noun, "symmetry" means: Exact correspondence on either side of a dividing line, plane, center or axis.
What words are commonly confused with "symmetry"?
"symmetry" is commonly confused with "symmetric". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "symmetry"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "symmetry" is /ˈsɪm.ᵻ.tɹi/. 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 "symmetry"?
From Latin symmetria, from Ancient Greek συμμετρία (summetría), from σύμμετρος (súmmetros, “symmetrical”), from σύν (sún, “with”) + μέτρον (métron, “measure”). By surface analysis, sym- + -metry. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "symmetry", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Thornton#14,852Townsend#14,855trenches#14,856shootout#14,834

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

twelfth12 variantsvascular12 variantsprovoked12 variantsprohibit12 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list