versatile
/ˈvɜː.səˌtaɪl/
"versatile" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“versatile” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,995 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #11,995
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Capable of doing many things competently.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | versatile |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈvɜː.səˌtaɪl/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #11,995 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “versatile” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for versatile is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈvɜː.səˌtaɪl/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,995 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for versatile, with forms such as "evrsatile", "verastile", and "verrsatile". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin versātilis (“turning easily”), from versātus, past participle of versō (“I turn, change”), frequentative of vertō (“I turn”). The correct English form is versatile, spelled V-E-R-S-A-T-I-L-E.
Definition
- 1Capable of doing many things competently.
- 2Having varied uses or many functions.
- 3Changeable or inconstant.
- 4Capable of moving freely in all directions.
- 5Synonym of vers (“Willing to take either a penetrative or receptive role in anal sex”).
- 6Being a switch; capable of taking either a dominant or a submissive role.
- 7Capable of being either a dominant or a submissive partner in a sexual relationship.
Etymology
From Latin versātilis (“turning easily”), from versātus, past participle of versō (“I turn, change”), frequentative of vertō (“I turn”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: evrsatile,verastile,verrsatile,versaitle,versatiel,versatille,versatlie,versattile,verssatile,verstaile,vesratile,vresatile,vversatile
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of versatile - 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 “versatile”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is V-E-R-S-A-T-I-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈvɜː.səˌtaɪl/ (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.