vanity

/ˈvænɪti/

//ˈvænɪti// noun

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

"vanity" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“vanity” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,633. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,633
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - That which is vain, futile, or worthless; that which is of no value, use or profit.

Corpus desk

Index EN-vanity · vanity · English

vanity · rank #10,633 · 9 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,633
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH vain

Nearest frequency peer: vain (-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 “vanity”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “vanity” 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).

vanity vs verity
67% similar
vanity vs variety
71% similar
vanity vs varsity
71% similar

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

Key facts for vanity
PropertyValue
Headwordvanity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈvænɪti/
Letters6
Frequency rank#10,633
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “vanity”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “vain” (#10,632), “violin” (#10,634), “uprising” (#10,631). Among 969 “V” headwords, “vanity” is #10,633. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around vanity (IPA /ˈvænɪti/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #10,633 among 969 “V” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for vanity, with forms such as "avnity", "vainty", and "vanitty". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "verity", "variety", "varsity", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From va(i)n + -ity, from Middle English vanite, from Old French vanité, from Latin vānitas, from vānus, whence English vain. Doublet of vanitas. The correct English form is vanity, spelled V-A-N-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    That which is vain, futile, or worthless; that which is of no value, use or profit.
  2. 2
    Excessive pride in or admiration of one's own abilities, appearance, achievements, or possessions.
  3. 3
    A dressing table used to apply makeup, preen, and coif hair, in which the table is normally quite low and similar to a desk.
  4. 4
    A washbasin installed into a permanently fixed storage unit, used as an item of bathroom furniture.
  5. 5
    Any idea, theory or statement that is without foundation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Then I said in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me and why then was I more wise? Then I said in my heart that this is also vanity. / For there is no more remembrance of the wise than the fool forever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.
  2. To make a man in love with you gives an instant hold on his vanity; and with that, you can do any thing. Vanity is the real lever with which Archimedes said he could move the earth; so, try what you can effect with Sir Robert.

Etymology

From va(i)n + -ity, from Middle English vanite, from Old French vanité, from Latin vānitas, from vānus, whence English vain. Doublet of vanitas.

Synonyms

arrogance

This word in other languages

vanidad(Español)vanité(Français)Vergänglichkeit(Deutsch)vaidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • avnity
  • vainty
  • vanitty
  • vanityy
  • vaniyt
  • vannity
  • vantiy
  • vnaity
  • vvanity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

avnity2vainty2vanitty1vanityy1vaniyt2vannity1vantiy2vnaity2
Edit distance from "vanity"

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 "vanity"?
"vanity" is spelled V-A-N-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvænɪti/.
What does "vanity" mean?
As a noun, "vanity" means: That which is vain, futile, or worthless; that which is of no value, use or profit.
What words are commonly confused with "vanity"?
"vanity" is commonly confused with "verity", "variety", "varsity". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "vanity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vanity" is /ˈvænɪti/. 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 "vanity"?
From va(i)n + -ity, from Middle English vanite, from Old French vanité, from Latin vānitas, from vānus, whence English vain. Doublet of vanitas. 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 "vanity", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

violin#10,634tumblr#10,626analog#10,644arcade#10,647

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

asthma9 variantsseizure9 variantspotent9 variantsNewark9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list