virtue

/ˈvɜːt͡ʃuː/

//ˈvɜːt͡ʃuː// noun

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

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

The verdict

“virtue” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,872. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,872
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - (uncountable) The idea of all that is good or excellent (in every sense of those terms) in a human being, collectively instantiated by a varying number of human traits known as "the virtues", the e...

Corpus desk

Index EN-virtue · virtue · English

virtue · rank #7,872 · 8 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,872
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH vibe

Nearest frequency peer: vibe (-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 “virtue”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “virtue” 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).

virtue vs virus
67% similar
virtue vs virtues
86% similar
virtue vs virtual
71% similar

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

Key facts for virtue
PropertyValue
Headwordvirtue
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈvɜːt͡ʃuː/
Letters6
Frequency rank#7,872
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “virtue”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “vibe” (#7,871), “WiFi” (#7,873), “verified” (#7,870). Among 969 “V” headwords, “virtue” is #7,872. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around virtue (IPA /ˈvɜːt͡ʃuː/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #7,872 among 969 “V” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for virtue, with forms such as "ivrtue", "virrtue", and "virteu". 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. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "virus", "virtues", "virtual", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English vertu, virtue, borrowed from Anglo-Norman vertu, virtu, from Latin virtus (“manliness, bravery, worth, moral excellence”), from vir (“man”). Doublet of vertu. See virile. In this sense, displaced Old English cræft, whence Modern English … The correct English form is virtue, spelled V-I-R-T-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    (uncountable) The idea of all that is good or excellent (in every sense of those terms) in a human being, collectively instantiated by a varying number of human traits known as "the virtues", the enumeration of which vary by the many virtue systems which have developed within different cultures, religions, and historical periods.
  2. 2
    Accordance with moral principles; conformity of behaviour or thought with the strictures of morality; good moral conduct.
  3. 3
    An attribute of a personality (a "personality trait") which predisposes a person to behaviors resulting in human goodness; an admirable quality.
  4. 4
    A particular manifestation of moral excellence in a person.
  5. 5
    Specifically, each of several qualities held to be particularly important, including the four cardinal virtues, the three theological virtues, or the seven virtues opposed to the seven deadly sins.
  6. 6
    An inherently advantageous or excellent quality of something or someone; a favourable point, an advantage.
  7. 7
    A creature embodying divine power, specifically one of the orders of heavenly beings, traditionally ranked above angels and archangels, and below seraphim and cherubim.
  8. 8
    Specifically, moral conduct in sexual behaviour, especially of women; chastity.
  9. 9
    The inherent power of a god, or other supernatural being.
  10. 10
    The inherent power or efficacy of something (now only in phrases).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Without virtue, there is no freedom.
  2. There are a set of religious, or rather moral, writers, who teach that virtue is the certain road to happiness, and vice to misery, in this world.

Etymology

From Middle English vertu, virtue, borrowed from Anglo-Norman vertu, virtu, from Latin virtus (“manliness, bravery, worth, moral excellence”), from vir (“man”). Doublet of vertu. See virile. In this sense, displaced Old English cræft, whence Modern English craft.

Synonyms

douththewgoodness

Antonyms

vicefoible

This word in other languages

virtud(Español)vertu(Français)Tugend(Deutsch)virtude(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ivrtue
  • virrtue
  • virteu
  • virttue
  • virute
  • vitrue
  • vritue
  • vvirtue

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of virtue - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ivrtue2virrtue1virteu2virttue1virute2vitrue2vritue2vvirtue1
Edit distance from "virtue"

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 "virtue"?
"virtue" is spelled V-I-R-T-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɜːt͡ʃuː/.
What does "virtue" mean?
As a noun, "virtue" means: (uncountable) The idea of all that is good or excellent (in every sense of those terms) in a human being, collectively instantiated by a varying number of human traits known as "the virtues", the e...
What words are commonly confused with "virtue"?
"virtue" is commonly confused with "virus", "virtues", "virtual". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "virtue"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "virtue" is /ˈvɜːt͡ʃuː/. 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 "virtue"?
From Middle English vertu, virtue, borrowed from Anglo-Norman vertu, virtu, from Latin virtus (“manliness, bravery, worth, moral excellence”), from vir (“man”). Doublet of vertu. See virile. In this sense, displaced Old English cræft, whence Moder... 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 "virtue", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

varies#7,868zombie#7,876themed#7,860bundle#7,890

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

terrain8 variantsswept8 variantsclown8 variantsrisky8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list