terrorist

/ˈtɛɹəɹɪst/

//ˈtɛɹəɹɪst// noun

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

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

The verdict

“terrorist” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,987 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,987
frequency rank, English
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person, group, or organization that uses violent action, or the threat of violent action, to further political goals.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

terrorist vs terrorize
78% similar
terrorist vs terrorists
90% similar
terrorist vs terrorism
89% similar

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

Key facts for terrorist
PropertyValue
Headwordterrorist
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɛɹəɹɪst/
Letters9
Frequency rank#3,987
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “terrorist” 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). terrorist 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 terrorist is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɛɹəɹɪst/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,987 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 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 terrorist, with forms such as "etrrorist", "terorist", and "terorrist". 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, "terrorize", "terrorists", "terrorism", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From terror + -ist. In the historical sense, after French terroriste. First used in 1794 in the Courier and Evening Gazette. The correct English form is terrorist, spelled T-E-R-R-O-R-I-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person, group, or organization that uses violent action, or the threat of violent action, to further political goals.
  2. 2
    An agent or partisan of the revolutionary tribunal during the Reign of Terror in France.

Etymology

From terror + -ist. In the historical sense, after French terroriste. First used in 1794 in the Courier and Evening Gazette.

This word in other languages

terrorista(Español)terroriste(Français)Terrorist(Deutsch)terrorista(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: etrrorist,terorist,terorrist,terroirst,terrorisst,terroristt,terrorits,terrorrist,terrorsit,terrroist,trerorist,tterrorist

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of terrorist - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

etrrorist2terorist1terorrist2terroirst2terrorisst1terroristt1terrorits2terrorrist1
Edit distance from "terrorist"

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 "terrorist"?
"terrorist" is spelled T-E-R-R-O-R-I-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɛɹəɹɪst/.
What does "terrorist" mean?
As a noun, "terrorist" means: A person, group, or organization that uses violent action, or the threat of violent action, to further political goals.
What words are commonly confused with "terrorist"?
"terrorist" is commonly confused with "terrorize", "terrorists", "terrorism". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "terrorist"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "terrorist" is /ˈtɛɹəɹɪst/. 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 "terrorist"?
From terror + -ist. In the historical sense, after French terroriste. First used in 1794 in the Courier and Evening Gazette. 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 “terrorist”

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

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