voluntary

/ˈvɒl.ən.tɹi/

//ˈvɒl.ən.tɹi// adj

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

"voluntary" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“voluntary” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,083. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,083
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Done, given, or acting of one's own free will.

Corpus desk

Index EN-voluntary · voluntary · English

voluntary · rank #7,083 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,083
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH void

Nearest frequency peer: void (-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 “voluntary”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “voluntary” 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).

voluntary vs voluntarily
82% similar

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

Key facts for voluntary
PropertyValue
Headwordvoluntary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈvɒl.ən.tɹi/
Letters9
Frequency rank#7,083
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “voluntary”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).voluntarylands 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 “void” (#7,082), “wheat” (#7,084), “vitamin” (#7,081). Among 969 “V” headwords, “voluntary” is #7,083. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around voluntary (IPA /ˈvɒl.ən.tɹi/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #7,083 among 969 “V” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for voluntary, with forms such as "ovluntary", "vlountary", and "volluntary". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "voluntarily", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English voluntarie, from Old French volontaire, from Latin voluntārius (“willing, of free will”), from voluntās (“will, choice, desire”), from volēns, present participle of volo (“to will”). Displaced native Old English selfwille (literally “sel… The correct English form is voluntary, spelled V-O-L-U-N-T-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Done, given, or acting of one's own free will.
  2. 2
    Done by design or intention; intentional.
  3. 3
    Working or done without payment.
  4. 4
    Endowed with the power of willing.
  5. 5
    Of or relating to voluntarism.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. September 10, 1828, Nathaniel William Taylor, Sermon delivered in the Chapel of Yale College That sin or guilt pertains exclusively to voluntary action is the true principle of orthodoxy.
  2. She fell, to lust a voluntary prey.

Etymology

From Middle English voluntarie, from Old French volontaire, from Latin voluntārius (“willing, of free will”), from voluntās (“will, choice, desire”), from volēns, present participle of volo (“to will”). Displaced native Old English selfwille (literally “self-willed”).

Synonyms

discretionaryoptionalvolitionalintentionalwillfulintentionalhonorarypro bonounpaidunsalariedunwagedautonomousspontaneous

Antonyms

antonym(s) ofcompulsoryobligatoryaccidentalpaidsalaried

This word in other languages

voluntario(Español)volontaire(Français)freiwillig(Deutsch)voluntário(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ovluntary
  • vlountary
  • volluntary
  • volnutary
  • volunatry
  • volunntary
  • voluntarry
  • voluntaryy
  • voluntayr
  • voluntray
  • volunttary
  • volutnary
  • voulntary
  • vvoluntary

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ovluntary2vlountary2volluntary1volnutary2volunatry2volunntary1voluntarry1voluntaryy1
Edit distance from "voluntary"

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 "voluntary"?
"voluntary" is spelled V-O-L-U-N-T-A-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɒl.ən.tɹi/.
What does "voluntary" mean?
As an adjective, "voluntary" means: Done, given, or acting of one's own free will.
What words are commonly confused with "voluntary"?
"voluntary" is commonly confused with "voluntarily". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "voluntary"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "voluntary" is /ˈvɒl.ən.tɹi/. 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 "voluntary"?
From Middle English voluntarie, from Old French volontaire, from Latin voluntārius (“willing, of free will”), from voluntās (“will, choice, desire”), from volēns, present participle of volo (“to will”). Displaced native Old English selfwille (lite... 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 "voluntary", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

struggled#7,066specially#7,064contacted#7,111reporters#7,051

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

sympathy14 variantsprivately14 variantsprecision14 variantsorchestra14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list