volatile

/ˈvɒl.əˌtaɪ.(ə)l/

//ˈvɒl.əˌtaɪ.(ə)l// adj

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

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

The verdict

“volatile” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #10,968. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#10,968
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Evaporating or vaporizing readily under normal conditions.

Corpus desk

Index EN-volatile · volatile · English

volatile · rank #10,968 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,968
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH voluntarily

Nearest frequency peer: voluntarily (+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 “volatile”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “volatile” 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
Key facts for volatile
PropertyValue
Headwordvolatile
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈvɒl.əˌtaɪ.(ə)l/
Letters8
Frequency rank#10,968
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “volatile”

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).volatilelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “voluntarily” (#10,969), “VP” (#10,970), “verb” (#10,965). Among 969 “V” headwords, “volatile” is #10,968. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around volatile (IPA /ˈvɒl.əˌtaɪ.(ə)l/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #10,968 among 969 “V” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for volatile, with forms such as "ovlatile", "vloatile", and "voaltile". 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. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French volatile, from Latin volātilis (“flying; swift; temporary; volatile”), from volō (“to fly”). The correct English form is volatile, spelled V-O-L-A-T-I-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Evaporating or vaporizing readily under normal conditions.
  2. 2
    Of a substance, explosive.
  3. 3
    Of a price, variable or erratic.
  4. 4
    Of a person, quick to become angry or violent.
  5. 5
    Fickle.
  6. 6
    Temporary or ephemeral.
  7. 7
    Of a situation potentially violent.
  8. 8
    Of a variable etc., having its associated memory immediately updated with any changes in value.
  9. 9
    Of memory, whose content is lost when the computer is powered down.
  10. 10
    Passing through the air on wings, or by the buoyant force of the atmosphere; flying; having the power to fly.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Its pricing is highly volatile — and therefore highly risky. For all its nosebleed ascents, bitcoin also has had some gut-punching plunges. Between November 2021 and November 2022, for example, the price of bitcoin dropped 75%, from $64,455 to $16,196, according to data on coinmarketcap.com.
  2. a volatile man

Etymology

From Middle French volatile, from Latin volātilis (“flying; swift; temporary; volatile”), from volō (“to fly”).

This word in other languages

volátil(Español)volatil(Français)volatil(Deutsch)volátil(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ovlatile
  • vloatile
  • voaltile
  • volaitle
  • volatiel
  • volatille
  • volatlie
  • volattile
  • vollatile
  • voltaile
  • vvolatile

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of volatile - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ovlatile2vloatile2voaltile2volaitle2volatiel2volatille1volatlie2volattile1
Edit distance from "volatile"

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 "volatile"?
"volatile" is spelled V-O-L-A-T-I-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɒl.əˌtaɪ.(ə)l/.
What does "volatile" mean?
As an adjective, "volatile" means: Evaporating or vaporizing readily under normal conditions.
What are common misspellings of "volatile"?
Common misspellings include "ovlatile", "vloatile", "voaltile", "volaitle", "volatiel". The correct spelling is "volatile".
How do you pronounce "volatile"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "volatile" is /ˈvɒl.əˌtaɪ.(ə)l/. 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 "volatile"?
From Middle French volatile, from Latin volātilis (“flying; swift; temporary; volatile”), from volō (“to fly”). 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 "volatile", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

vanished#10,964withdrew#10,972abnormal#10,973unlawful#10,960

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Whitney11 variantsturtles11 variantsblogging11 variantssurfing11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list