vault

/vɒlt/

//vɒlt// noun

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

"vault" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“vault” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,375. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,375
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An arched masonry structure supporting and forming a ceiling, whether freestanding or forming part of a larger building.

Corpus desk

Index EN-vault · vault · English

vault · rank #8,375 · 7 variants · 9 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,375
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 9 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH unlock

Nearest frequency peer: unlock (-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 “vault”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “vault” 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).

vault vs volt
60% similar
vault vs vaulted
71% similar
vault vs val
60% similar

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

Key facts for vault
PropertyValue
Headwordvault
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/vɒlt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#8,375
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “vault”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “unlock” (#8,374), “vet” (#8,376), “unite” (#8,373). Among 969 “V” headwords, “vault” is #8,375. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around vault (IPA /vɒlt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #8,375 among 969 “V” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for vault, with forms such as "avult", "valut", and "vaullt". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "volt", "vaulted", "val", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English vaute, vowte, from Old French volte (modern voûte), from Vulgar Latin *volta < *volvita or *volŭta, a regularization of Latin volūta (compare modern volute (“spire”)), the past participle of volvere (“roll, turn”). Cognate with Spanish v… The correct English form is vault, spelled V-A-U-L-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    An arched masonry structure supporting and forming a ceiling, whether freestanding or forming part of a larger building.
  2. 2
    Any arched ceiling or roof.
  3. 3
    Anything resembling such a downward-facing concave structure, particularly the sky and caves.
  4. 4
    The space covered by an arched roof, particularly underground rooms and (Christianity, obsolete) church crypts.
  5. 5
    Any cellar or underground storeroom.
  6. 6
    Any burial chamber, particularly those underground.
  7. 7
    The secure room or rooms in or below a bank used to store currency and other valuables; similar rooms in other settings.
  8. 8
    Any archive of past content.
  9. 9
    An encrypted digital archive.
  10. 10
    An underground or covered conduit for water or waste; a drain; a sewer.
  11. 11
    An underground or covered reservoir for water or waste; a cistern; a cesspit.
  12. 12
    A room employing a cesspit or sewer: an outhouse; a lavatory.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The decoration of the vault of Sainte-Chapelle was much brighter before its 19th-century restoration.
  2. the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault

Etymology

From Middle English vaute, vowte, from Old French volte (modern voûte), from Vulgar Latin *volta < *volvita or *volŭta, a regularization of Latin volūta (compare modern volute (“spire”)), the past participle of volvere (“roll, turn”). Cognate with Spanish vuelta (“turn”) and Portuguese volta ("turn"). Doublet of volute.

Synonyms

bathroomvaulting table

This word in other languages

bóveda(Español)voûte(Français)Gewölbe(Deutsch)abóbada(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • avult
  • valut
  • vaullt
  • vaultt
  • vautl
  • vualt
  • vvault

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

avult2valut2vaullt1vaultt1vautl2vualt2vvault1
Edit distance from "vault"

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 "vault"?
"vault" is spelled V-A-U-L-T. The IPA pronunciation is /vɒlt/.
What does "vault" mean?
As a noun, "vault" means: An arched masonry structure supporting and forming a ceiling, whether freestanding or forming part of a larger building.
What words are commonly confused with "vault"?
"vault" is commonly confused with "volt", "vaulted", "val". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "vault"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vault" is /vɒlt/. 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 "vault"?
From Middle English vaute, vowte, from Old French volte (modern voûte), from Vulgar Latin *volta < *volvita or *volŭta, a regularization of Latin volūta (compare modern volute (“spire”)), the past participle of volvere (“roll, turn”). Cognate with... 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 "vault", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

unite#8,373Vince#8,377wagon#8,378Allah#8,384

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Sudan7 variantsslope7 variantsRiley7 variantshomer7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list