administer

/ədˈmɪn.ɪ.stə/

//ədˈmɪn.ɪ.stə// verb

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

"administer" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“administer” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,059. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,059
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To apportion out, distribute.

Corpus desk

Index EN-administer · administer · English

administer · rank #14,059 · 15 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #14,059
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH accreditation

Nearest frequency peer: accreditation (-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 “administer”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “administer” 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).

administer vs administered
83% similar

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

Key facts for administer
PropertyValue
Headwordadminister
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ədˈmɪn.ɪ.stə/
Letters10
Frequency rank#14,059
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “administer”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “accreditation” (#14,058), “admittedly” (#14,060), “academia” (#14,057). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “administer” is #14,059. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around administer (IPA /ədˈmɪn.ɪ.stə/), averb. Corpus frequency is #14,059 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for administer, with forms such as "addminister", "adimnister", and "admiinster". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "administered", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English administren, from Old French aminister, from Latin administrare (“to manage, execute”), from ad (“to”) + ministrare (“to attend, serve”), from minister (“servant”); see minister. The correct English form is administer, spelled A-D-M-I-N-I-S-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To apportion out, distribute.
  2. 2
    To manage or supervise the conduct, performance or execution of; to govern or regulate the parameters for the conduct, performance or execution of; to work in an administrative capacity.
  3. 3
    To minister (to).
  4. 4
    To settle, as the estate of one who dies without a will, or whose will fails of an executor.
  5. 5
    To give, as an oath.
  6. 6
    To give (a drug, to a patient), be it orally or by any other means.
  7. 7
    To cause (a patient, human or animal) to ingest (a drug), either by openly offering or through deceit.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [Let zephyrs] administer their tepid, genial airs.
  2. Justice was administered between man and man with an exactness and purity not before known.

Etymology

From Middle English administren, from Old French aminister, from Latin administrare (“to manage, execute”), from ad (“to”) + ministrare (“to attend, serve”), from minister (“servant”); see minister.

This word in other languages

administrar(Español)administrer(Français)darreichen(Deutsch)ministrar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • addminister
  • adimnister
  • admiinster
  • adminisetr
  • adminisster
  • administerr
  • administre
  • administter
  • adminitser
  • adminnister
  • adminsiter
  • admminister
  • admniister
  • amdinister
  • daminister

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of administer - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

addminister1adimnister2admiinster2adminisetr2adminisster1administerr1administre2administter1
Edit distance from "administer"

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 "administer"?
"administer" is spelled A-D-M-I-N-I-S-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ədˈmɪn.ɪ.stə/.
What does "administer" mean?
As a verb, "administer" means: To apportion out, distribute.
What words are commonly confused with "administer"?
"administer" is commonly confused with "administered". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "administer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "administer" is /ədˈmɪn.ɪ.stə/. 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 "administer"?
From Middle English administren, from Old French aminister, from Latin administrare (“to manage, execute”), from ad (“to”) + ministrare (“to attend, serve”), from minister (“servant”); see minister. 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 "administer", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

admittedly#14,060articulate#14,067waterproof#14,049turbulence#14,040

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

sustaining15 variantsregulating15 variantsprevailing15 variantshomecoming15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list