termite

/ˈtɜː(ɹ).maɪt/

//ˈtɜː(ɹ).maɪt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“termite” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #38,200. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#38,200
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A white-bodied, wood-consuming insect of the infraorder Isoptera, in the order Blattodea.

Corpus desk

Index EN-termite · termite · English

termite · rank #38,200 · 10 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #38,200
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tenderly

Nearest frequency peer: tenderly (-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 “termite”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “termite” 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).

termite vs trite
71% similar
termite vs termites
88% similar
termite vs terminate
78% similar

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

Key facts for termite
PropertyValue
Headwordtermite
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɜː(ɹ).maɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#38,200
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “termite”

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).termitelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “tenderly” (#38,199), “Theron” (#38,201), “thicke” (#38,202). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “termite” is #38,200. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around termite (IPA /ˈtɜː(ɹ).maɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #38,200 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for termite, with forms such as "etrmite", "temrite", and "terimte". 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. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "trite", "termites", "terminate", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inferred singular of termites, the plural of Latin termes (“woodworm”), which was used for termites by Linnaeus. The correct English form is termite, spelled T-E-R-M-I-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A white-bodied, wood-consuming insect of the infraorder Isoptera, in the order Blattodea.
  2. 2
    A contemptible person.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Linnæus describes this insect under the Latin name of Termes; and citizen Cuvier speaks of it under that of Termites. The vulgar call it by that of white ant, or fourmi vaguevague. The termites divide themselves into societies: each society builds itself a next, and each nest belongs to an innumerable quantity of these insects, who acknowledge for their c…
  2. This two faced termite has the nerve to talk.

Etymology

Inferred singular of termites, the plural of Latin termes (“woodworm”), which was used for termites by Linnaeus.

Synonyms

termeswhite antwood ant

This word in other languages

termes(Español)termite(Français)Termite(Deutsch)cupim(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etrmite
  • temrite
  • terimte
  • termiet
  • termitte
  • termmite
  • termtie
  • terrmite
  • tremite
  • ttermite

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etrmite2temrite2terimte2termiet2termitte1termmite1termtie2terrmite1
Edit distance from "termite"

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 "termite"?
"termite" is spelled T-E-R-M-I-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɜː(ɹ).maɪt/.
What does "termite" mean?
As a noun, "termite" means: A white-bodied, wood-consuming insect of the infraorder Isoptera, in the order Blattodea.
What words are commonly confused with "termite"?
"termite" is commonly confused with "trite", "termites", "terminate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "termite"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "termite" is /ˈtɜː(ɹ).maɪt/. 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 "termite"?
Inferred singular of termites, the plural of Latin termes (“woodworm”), which was used for termites by Linnaeus. 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 "termite", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Tabitha#38,190trimmer#38,212usurped#38,225spiking#38,173

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

Smythe10 variantsscythe10 variantsyardage10 variantsrotunda10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list