virtue
Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.
Letters
6 characters
Language
English
word origin
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Detailed reference entry for the English word "virtue", 6-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "virtue" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "virtue" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.
virtue is aEnglishnoun. It 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... Pronounced /ˈvɜːt͡ʃuː/. It ranks #7,872 in English word frequency. Often confused with virus and virtues.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | virtue |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈvɜːt͡ʃuː/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #7,872 |
| Misspellings tracked | 8 |
| Confusable pairs | 3 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Frequency rank visualization
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for virtue is 6 letters long, classified as anoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈvɜːt͡ʃuː/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,872 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text.Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 8 documented wrong-spelling variants for virtue, with forms such as "ivrtue", "virrtue", and "virteu". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "virus", "virtues", "virtual", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
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 … Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is virtue, spelled V-I-R-T-U-E, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Definition
- 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.
- 2Accordance with moral principles; conformity of behaviour or thought with the strictures of morality; good moral conduct.
- 3An attribute of a personality (a "personality trait") which predisposes a person to behaviors resulting in human goodness; an admirable quality.
- 4A particular manifestation of moral excellence in a person.
- 5Specifically, 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.
- 6An inherently advantageous or excellent quality of something or someone; a favourable point, an advantage.
- 7A creature embodying divine power, specifically one of the orders of heavenly beings, traditionally ranked above angels and archangels, and below seraphim and cherubim.
- 8Specifically, moral conduct in sexual behaviour, especially of women; chastity.
- 9The inherent power of a god, or other supernatural being.
- 10The inherent power or efficacy of something (now only in phrases).
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.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ivrtue,virrtue,virteu,virttue,virute,vitrue,vritue,vvirtue
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
Relative frequency of common misspelling types for virtue
Misspelling Variants of "virtue"
Frequency rank: #7,872 in English
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Nearby English words
Other entries that begin with the letter V in our English index: