vandalism

/ˈvændəlɪzm̩/

//ˈvændəlɪzm̩// noun

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

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

The verdict

“vandalism” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,988. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,988
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Willful damage to or destruction of any property, such as graffiti or defacement.

Corpus desk

Index EN-vandalism · vandalism · English

vandalism · rank #18,988 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,988
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH Vargas

Nearest frequency peer: Vargas (+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 “vandalism”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “vandalism” 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
Key facts for vandalism
PropertyValue
Headwordvandalism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈvændəlɪzm̩/
Letters9
Frequency rank#18,988
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “vandalism”

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).vandalismlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Vargas” (#18,989), “usefulness” (#18,986), “untreated” (#18,985). Among 969 “V” headwords, “vandalism” is #18,988. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around vandalism (IPA /ˈvændəlɪzm̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #18,988 among 969 “V” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Willful damage to or destruction of any property, such as graffiti or defacement.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for vandalism, with forms such as "avndalism", "vadnalism", and "vanadlism". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French vandalisme, first used by Henri Grégoire to decry the pillage and destruction of art in the course of the French Revolution, in reference to the East Germanic tribe of the Vandals, which looted Rome in 455. By surface analysis, vandal +… The correct English form is vandalism, spelled V-A-N-D-A-L-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Willful damage to or destruction of any property, such as graffiti or defacement.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. As we turned down the street I was appalled by the vandalism: spray paint and smashed windows that were everywhere.
  2. Bradford once boasted two stations with overall roofs. The pair were swept away in the 1970s in an act of corporate and civic vandalism.

Etymology

Borrowed from French vandalisme, first used by Henri Grégoire to decry the pillage and destruction of art in the course of the French Revolution, in reference to the East Germanic tribe of the Vandals, which looted Rome in 455. By surface analysis, vandal + -ism.

This word in other languages

vandalismo(Español)vandalisme(Français)Vandalismus(Deutsch)vandalismo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • avndalism
  • vadnalism
  • vanadlism
  • vandailsm
  • vandalims
  • vandalismm
  • vandalissm
  • vandallism
  • vandalsim
  • vanddalism
  • vandlaism
  • vanndalism
  • vnadalism
  • vvandalism

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

avndalism2vadnalism2vanadlism2vandailsm2vandalims2vandalismm1vandalissm1vandallism1
Edit distance from "vandalism"

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 "vandalism"?
"vandalism" is spelled V-A-N-D-A-L-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvændəlɪzm̩/.
What does "vandalism" mean?
As a noun, "vandalism" means: Willful damage to or destruction of any property, such as graffiti or defacement.
What are common misspellings of "vandalism"?
Common misspellings include "avndalism", "vadnalism", "vanadlism", "vandailsm", "vandalims". The correct spelling is "vandalism".
How do you pronounce "vandalism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vandalism" is /ˈvændəlɪzm̩/. 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 "vandalism"?
Borrowed from French vandalisme, first used by Henri Grégoire to decry the pillage and destruction of art in the course of the French Revolution, in reference to the East Germanic tribe of the Vandals, which looted Rome in 455. By surface analysis... 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 "vandalism", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

untreated#18,985unfolding#18,983turquoise#18,977threesome#18,972

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

surveying14 variantsattendants14 variantsAuschwitz14 variantsroundabout14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list