vigilant

/ˈvɪd͡ʒɪlənt/

//ˈvɪd͡ʒɪlənt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“vigilant” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,730. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,730
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Watchful, especially for danger or disorder; alert; wary

Corpus desk

Index EN-vigilant · vigilant · English

vigilant · rank #18,730 · 12 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,730
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH Ventura

Nearest frequency peer: Ventura (-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 “vigilant”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “vigilant” 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).

vigilant vs vigilante
89% similar
vigilant vs vigilance
78% similar

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

Key facts for vigilant
PropertyValue
Headwordvigilant
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈvɪd͡ʒɪlənt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#18,730
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “vigilant”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).vigilantlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Ventura” (#18,729), “visitation” (#18,731), “upstate” (#18,728). Among 969 “V” headwords, “vigilant” is #18,730. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around vigilant (IPA /ˈvɪd͡ʒɪlənt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #18,730 among 969 “V” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for vigilant, with forms such as "ivgilant", "vgiilant", and "viggilant". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "vigilante", "vigilance", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French vigilant or its source, Latin vigilans, present participle of vigilare (“stay awake”), from vigil (“awake”). Doublet of vigilante, from Spanish. Displaced Old English wacor. The correct English form is vigilant, spelled V-I-G-I-L-A-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Watchful, especially for danger or disorder; alert; wary
  2. 2
    In vigilance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Be vigilant for signs of disease in your garden.
  2. von der LUTKE / Argent, a crane vigilant proper. AG. Carl von der Lutke. Arr. 1857 with the British German Crimea legion. Obtained a grant of land in the Eastern Province of the Cape Colony.

Etymology

From French vigilant or its source, Latin vigilans, present participle of vigilare (“stay awake”), from vigil (“awake”). Doublet of vigilante, from Spanish. Displaced Old English wacor.

Synonyms

alertawarecarefulcircumspectobservanton the qui vivewakesomewarywatchfulheedfulhipon guardon the lookouton the watchon watchvigilantwakefulwoke

Antonyms

complacentheedlessobliviousunalertunawareunpreparedunwaryunwitting

This word in other languages

vigilante(Español)vigilant(Français)aufmerksam(Deutsch)vigilante(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ivgilant
  • vgiilant
  • viggilant
  • vigialnt
  • vigilannt
  • vigilantt
  • vigilatn
  • vigillant
  • vigilnat
  • vigliant
  • viiglant
  • vvigilant

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ivgilant2vgiilant2viggilant1vigialnt2vigilannt1vigilantt1vigilatn2vigillant1
Edit distance from "vigilant"

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 "vigilant"?
"vigilant" is spelled V-I-G-I-L-A-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɪd͡ʒɪlənt/.
What does "vigilant" mean?
As an adjective, "vigilant" means: Watchful, especially for danger or disorder; alert; wary
What words are commonly confused with "vigilant"?
"vigilant" is commonly confused with "vigilante", "vigilance". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "vigilant"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "vigilant" is /ˈvɪd͡ʒɪlənt/. 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 "vigilant"?
From French vigilant or its source, Latin vigilans, present participle of vigilare (“stay awake”), from vigil (“awake”). Doublet of vigilante, from Spanish. Displaced Old English wacor. 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 "vigilant", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

achieves#18,745additive#18,746syllabus#18,710subpoena#18,707

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

worldly12 variantsTaiwanese12 variantssturgeon12 variantsannoyance12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list