varsity

/ˈvɑː.sɪ.ti/

//ˈvɑː.sɪ.ti// noun

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

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

The verdict

“varsity” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,319. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,319
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - university

Corpus desk

Index EN-varsity · varsity · English

varsity · rank #11,319 · 11 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,319
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH variants

Nearest frequency peer: variants (-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 “varsity”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “varsity” 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).

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

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

Key facts for varsity
PropertyValue
Headwordvarsity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈvɑː.sɪ.ti/
Letters7
Frequency rank#11,319
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “varsity”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).varsitylands 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 “variants” (#11,318), “verification” (#11,320), “validity” (#11,317). Among 969 “V” headwords, “varsity” is #11,319. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around varsity (IPA /ˈvɑː.sɪ.ti/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,319 among 969 “V” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

  1. 1
    university
  2. 2
    The principal sports team representing an institution (usually a high school, college, or university.)

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […] and then to lyrically proclaim that, not only was it a way they had in the Varsity to drive dull care away, but that the same practice was also pursued in the army and navy for the attainment of a similar end.
  2. There were sixteen of them in all, for the most part upper classmen who had failed to make the varsity the year before, with a sprinkling of sophomores and two freshmen.

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.

avrsity2varisty2varrsity1varsitty1varsityy1varsiyt2varssity1varstiy2
Edit distance from "varsity"

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 "varsity"?
"varsity" is spelled V-A-R-S-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɑː.sɪ.ti/.
What does "varsity" mean?
As a noun, "varsity" means: university
What words are commonly confused with "varsity"?
"varsity" is commonly confused with "verity", "vanity", "variety". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "varsity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "varsity" is /ˈvɑː.sɪ.ti/. 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 "varsity"?
First attested in the mid 17th century. Clipping of univarsity, reflecting an archaic pronunciation of university. 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 "varsity", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Uruguay#11,315whipped#11,325temples#11,308stylish#11,303

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

battling11 variantsbeverage11 variantsBrendan11 variantschilling11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list