velleity

/vɛˈliː.ɪ.ti/

//vɛˈliː.ɪ.ti// noun

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

"velleity" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“velleity” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The lowest degree of desire or volition; a total lack of effort to act.

Key facts for velleity
PropertyValue
Headwordvelleity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/vɛˈliː.ɪ.ti/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “velleity” sits in English frequency

velleity falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

velleity is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /vɛˈliː.ɪ.ti/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for velleity in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin velleitās, from Latin velle (“wish, will”). The correct English form is velleity, spelled V-E-L-L-E-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The lowest degree of desire or volition; a total lack of effort to act.
  2. 2
    A slight wish not followed by any effort to obtain.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin velleitās, from Latin velle (“wish, will”).

This word in other languages

antojo(Español)velléité(Français)Anwandlung(Deutsch)veleidade(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "velleity"?
"velleity" is spelled V-E-L-L-E-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /vɛˈliː.ɪ.ti/.
What does "velleity" mean?
As a noun, "velleity" means: The lowest degree of desire or volition; a total lack of effort to act.
How do you pronounce "velleity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "velleity" is /vɛˈliː.ɪ.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 "velleity"?
From Medieval Latin velleitās, from Latin velle (“wish, will”). 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.

Using “velleity”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is V-E-L-L-E-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /vɛˈliː.ɪ.ti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list