varsity
/ˈvɑː.sɪ.ti/
"varsity" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“varsity” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,319 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #11,319
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 11
- tracked misspellings
- 3
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - university
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | varsity |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈvɑː.sɪ.ti/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #11,319 |
| Misspellings tracked | 11 |
| Confusable pairs | 3 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “varsity” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for varsity is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈvɑː.sɪ.ti/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,319 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for varsity, with forms such as "avrsity", "varisty", and "varrsity". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "verity", "vanity", "variety", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in the mid 17th century. Clipping of univarsity, reflecting an archaic pronunciation of university. The correct English form is varsity, spelled V-A-R-S-I-T-Y.
Definition
- 1university
- 2The principal sports team representing an institution (usually a high school, college, or university.)
Etymology
First attested in the mid 17th century. Clipping of univarsity, reflecting an archaic pronunciation of university.
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: avrsity,varisty,varrsity,varsitty,varsityy,varsiyt,varssity,varstiy,vasrity,vrasity,vvarsity
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of varsity - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “varsity”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is V-A-R-S-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈvɑː.sɪ.ti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “verity” - see the side-by-side comparison. varsity vs verity
- 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.