victim

/ˈvɪktɪm/

//ˈvɪktɪm// noun

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

"victim" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“victim” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,708 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,708
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One that is harmed—killed, injured, subjected to oppression, deceit, or otherwise adversely affected—by someone or something, especially another person or event, force, or condition; in particular

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

victim vs victor
67% similar
victim vs victims
86% similar
victim vs Vicki
50% similar

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

Key facts for victim
PropertyValue
Headwordvictim
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈvɪktɪm/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,708
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “victim” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for victim is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈvɪktɪm/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,708 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for victim, with forms such as "ivctim", "vcitim", and "vicctim". 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, "victor", "victims", "Vicki", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French victime, from Latin victima (“sacrificial animal”). The correct English form is victim, spelled V-I-C-T-I-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    One that is harmed—killed, injured, subjected to oppression, deceit, or otherwise adversely affected—by someone or something, especially another person or event, force, or condition; in particular
  2. 2
    One that is harmed—killed, injured, subjected to oppression, deceit, or otherwise adversely affected—by someone or something, especially another person or event, force, or condition; in particular:
  3. 3
    One that is harmed—killed, injured, subjected to oppression, deceit, or otherwise adversely affected—by someone or something, especially another person or event, force, or condition; in particular:
  4. 4
    One that is harmed—killed, injured, subjected to oppression, deceit, or otherwise adversely affected—by someone or something, especially another person or event, force, or condition; in particular:
  5. 5
    One that is harmed—killed, injured, subjected to oppression, deceit, or otherwise adversely affected—by someone or something, especially another person or event, force, or condition; in particular:
  6. 6
    A living being which is slain and offered as a sacrifice, usually in a religious rite.
  7. 7
    A living being which is slain and offered as a sacrifice, usually in a religious rite.

Etymology

From Middle French victime, from Latin victima (“sacrificial animal”).

Synonyms

injured party

Antonyms

offender

This word in other languages

víctima(Español)victime(Français)Opfer(Deutsch)vítima(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ivctim,vcitim,vicctim,vicitm,victimm,victmi,victtim,vitcim,vvictim

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of victim - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ivctim2vcitim2vicctim1vicitm2victimm1victmi2victtim1vitcim2
Edit distance from "victim"

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 "victim"?
"victim" is spelled V-I-C-T-I-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɪktɪm/.
What does "victim" mean?
As a noun, "victim" means: One that is harmed—killed, injured, subjected to oppression, deceit, or otherwise adversely affected—by someone or something, especially another person or event, force, or condition; in particular
What words are commonly confused with "victim"?
"victim" is commonly confused with "victor", "victims", "Vicki". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "victim"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "victim" is /ˈvɪktɪm/. 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 "victim"?
From Middle French victime, from Latin victima (“sacrificial animal”). 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 “victim”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is V-I-C-T-I-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈvɪktɪm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “victor” - see the side-by-side comparison. victim vs victor
  • 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