wanted

/ˈwɒntɪd/

//ˈwɒntɪd// adj

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

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

The verdict

“wanted” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #439. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#439
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Wished for; desired; sought.

Corpus desk

Index EN-wanted · wanted · English

wanted · rank #439 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #439
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH possible

Nearest frequency peer: possible (-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 “wanted”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “wanted” 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).

wanted vs Water
50% similar
wanted vs wants
67% similar
wanted vs waste
67% similar

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

Key facts for wanted
PropertyValue
Headwordwanted
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈwɒntɪd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#439
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “wanted”

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).wantedlands 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 “possible” (#438), “b” (#440), “past” (#437). Among 1,759 “W” headwords, “wanted” is #439. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around wanted (IPA /ˈwɒntɪd/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #439 among 1,759 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for wanted, with forms such as "awnted", "wanetd", and "wannted". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Water", "wants", "waste", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From want + -ed. The correct English form is wanted, spelled W-A-N-T-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Wished for; desired; sought.
  2. 2
    Subject to immediate detainment by law enforcement authorities on sight.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Wanted: babysitter
  2. She was the most wanted speaker at the conference.

Etymology

From want + -ed.

Antonyms

unwanted

This word in other languages

deseado(Español)recherché(Français)ersehnt(Deutsch)procurado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • awnted
  • wanetd
  • wannted
  • wantde
  • wantedd
  • wantted
  • watned
  • wnated
  • wwanted

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

awnted2wanetd2wannted1wantde2wantedd1wantted1watned2wnated2
Edit distance from "wanted"

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 "wanted"?
"wanted" is spelled W-A-N-T-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɒntɪd/.
What does "wanted" mean?
As an adjective, "wanted" means: Wished for; desired; sought.
What words are commonly confused with "wanted"?
"wanted" is commonly confused with "Water", "wants", "waste". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "wanted"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wanted" is /ˈwɒntɪd/. 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 "wanted"?
From want + -ed. 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 "wanted", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

months#446series#450saying#426friend#420

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

taking9 variantsrather9 variantsreport9 variantsalmost9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list