traitor

/ˈtɹeɪtə(ɹ)/

//ˈtɹeɪtə(ɹ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“traitor” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,485. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,485
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Someone who violates an allegiance and betrays their country; someone guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers their country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place entrusted to...

Corpus desk

Index EN-traitor · traitor · English

traitor · rank #11,485 · 10 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,485
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH trait

Nearest frequency peer: trait (-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 “traitor”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “traitor” 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).

traitor vs traits
71% similar
traitor vs triton
71% similar
traitor vs trait
71% similar

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

Key facts for traitor
PropertyValue
Headwordtraitor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɹeɪtə(ɹ)/
Letters7
Frequency rank#11,485
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “traitor”

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).traitorlands 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 “trait” (#11,484), “troop” (#11,486), “titan” (#11,483). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “traitor” is #11,485. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around traitor (IPA /ˈtɹeɪtə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,485 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for traitor, with forms such as "rtaitor", "taritor", and "traiotr". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "traits", "triton", "trait", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English traitor, traitour, traytour, from Old French traïtor (French traître), from Latin trāditor. Displaced native Middle English swike from Old English swica (“traitor”), and Middle English proditour and traditour borrowed directly from Latin… The correct English form is traitor, spelled T-R-A-I-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who violates an allegiance and betrays their country; someone guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers their country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place entrusted to their defense, or surrenders an army or body of troops to the enemy, unless when vanquished.
  2. 2
    Someone who takes arms and levies war against their country; or one who aids an enemy in conquering their country.
  3. 3
    One who betrays any confidence or trust.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. After World War I, the communists and Jews were accused to be traitors by the German right wing (the "stab-in-the-back myth"), ultimately culminating in their persecution and massacre.
  2. My Lord of Hereford here whom you call King, / Is a foule traitour to proud Herefords King, / And if you crowne him let me propheſie, / The bloud of Engliſh ſhall manure the ground, / And future ages groane for this foule act, [...]

Etymology

From Middle English traitor, traitour, traytour, from Old French traïtor (French traître), from Latin trāditor. Displaced native Middle English swike from Old English swica (“traitor”), and Middle English proditour and traditour borrowed directly from Latin. The general Old English word denoting "traitor" was lǣwa or lǣwend. Doublet of traditor.

Synonyms

Benedict ArnoldquislingJudas

This word in other languages

traidor(Español)traître(Français)Verräter(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rtaitor
  • taritor
  • traiotr
  • traitorr
  • traitro
  • traittor
  • tratior
  • triator
  • trraitor
  • ttraitor

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rtaitor2taritor2traiotr2traitorr1traitro2traittor1tratior2triator2
Edit distance from "traitor"

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 "traitor"?
"traitor" is spelled T-R-A-I-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɹeɪtə(ɹ)/.
What does "traitor" mean?
As a noun, "traitor" means: Someone who violates an allegiance and betrays their country; someone guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers their country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place entrusted to...
What words are commonly confused with "traitor"?
"traitor" is commonly confused with "traits", "triton", "trait". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "traitor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "traitor" is /ˈtɹeɪtə(ɹ)/. 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 "traitor"?
From Middle English traitor, traitour, traytour, from Old French traïtor (French traître), from Latin trāditor. Displaced native Middle English swike from Old English swica (“traitor”), and Middle English proditour and traditour borrowed directly ... 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 "traitor", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Taliban#11,478banging#11,505bathing#11,506bending#11,507

Similar misspelling depth

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

truths10 variantssquirrel10 variantsscotch10 variantscommunal10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list