terrorism

/ˈtɛɹəɹɪzəm/

//ˈtɛɹəɹɪzəm// noun

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

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

The verdict

“terrorism” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,805. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,805
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The system of fear and intimidation put into place during the Reign of Terror in Revolutionary France around 1793-94.

Corpus desk

Index EN-terrorism · terrorism · English

terrorism · rank #4,805 · 12 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,805
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH suspension

Nearest frequency peer: suspension (-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 “terrorism”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “terrorism” 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).

terrorism vs terrorist
89% similar
terrorism vs terrorize
78% similar
terrorism vs terrorists
80% similar

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

Key facts for terrorism
PropertyValue
Headwordterrorism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɛɹəɹɪzəm/
Letters9
Frequency rank#4,805
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “terrorism”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).terrorismlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “suspension” (#4,804), “terry” (#4,806), “Susan” (#4,803). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “terrorism” is #4,805. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around terrorism (IPA /ˈtɛɹəɹɪzəm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,805 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for terrorism, with forms such as "etrrorism", "terorism", and "terorrism". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "terrorist", "terrorize", "terrorists", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French terrorisme, from terreur + -isme. By surface analysis, terror + -ism. The word first appears in English in 1795 in reference to the Jacobin radicals of France, who ruled during the Reign of Terror. The correct English form is terrorism, spelled T-E-R-R-O-R-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    The system of fear and intimidation put into place during the Reign of Terror in Revolutionary France around 1793-94.
  2. 2
    The use of unlawful violence against people or property to achieve political objectives.
  3. 3
    The use of unlawful violence against people or property to achieve political objectives.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In England I was proscribed for having vindicated the French Revolution, and I have suffered a rigorous imprisonment in France for having pursued a similar mode of conduct. During the reign of terrorism, I was a close prisoner for eight long months, and remained so above three months after the era of the tenth Thermidor.
  2. The threat of terrorism to the British lies in the overreaction to it of British governments. Each one in turn clicks up the ratchet of surveillance, intrusion and security. Each one diminishes liberty. David Cameron insists that his latest communications data bill is "vital to counter terrorism". Yet terror is mayhem. It is no threat to freedom. That thr…

Etymology

From French terrorisme, from terreur + -isme. By surface analysis, terror + -ism. The word first appears in English in 1795 in reference to the Jacobin radicals of France, who ruled during the Reign of Terror.

This word in other languages

terrorismo(Español)terrorisme(Français)Terrorismus(Deutsch)terrorismo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etrrorism
  • terorism
  • terorrism
  • terroirsm
  • terrorims
  • terrorismm
  • terrorissm
  • terrorrism
  • terrorsim
  • terrroism
  • trerorism
  • tterrorism

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etrrorism2terorism1terorrism2terroirsm2terrorims2terrorismm1terrorissm1terrorrism1
Edit distance from "terrorism"

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 "terrorism"?
"terrorism" is spelled T-E-R-R-O-R-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɛɹəɹɪzəm/.
What does "terrorism" mean?
As a noun, "terrorism" means: The system of fear and intimidation put into place during the Reign of Terror in Revolutionary France around 1793-94.
What words are commonly confused with "terrorism"?
"terrorism" is commonly confused with "terrorist", "terrorize", "terrorists". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "terrorism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "terrorism" is /ˈtɛɹəɹɪzəm/. 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 "terrorism"?
From French terrorisme, from terreur + -isme. By surface analysis, terror + -ism. The word first appears in English in 1795 in reference to the Jacobin radicals of France, who ruled during the Reign of Terror. 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 "terrorism", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

reactions#4,791Barcelona#4,825Brazilian#4,827Neighbors#4,780

Similar misspelling depth

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

treasury12 variantssprings12 variantsspeakers12 variantsactively12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list