aeroplane

[ˈɛə̯.ɹə.pleɪ̯n]

/[ˈɛə̯.ɹə.pleɪ̯n]/ noun

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

The verdict

“aeroplane” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,882 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#22,882
frequency rank, English
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Synonym of airplane. A powered heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed wings.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

aeroplane vs airplane
78% similar
aeroplane vs aeroplanes
90% similar

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

Key facts for aeroplane
PropertyValue
Headwordaeroplane
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈɛə̯.ɹə.pleɪ̯n]
Letters9
Frequency rank#22,882
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “aeroplane” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for aeroplane is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈɛə̯.ɹə.pleɪ̯n]. Corpus data places it at rank #22,882 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for aeroplane, with forms such as "aeorplane", "aerolpane", and "aeropalne". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "airplane", "aeroplanes", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews- Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewsér Proto-Hellenic *auhḗr Ancient Greek ᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr) Ancient Greek πλανάω (planáō) Ancient Greek πλάνος (plános) Ancient Greek ᾱ̓ερόπλᾰνος (āeróplănos)der. French aéroplanebor. English aeropl… The correct English form is aeroplane, spelled A-E-R-O-P-L-A-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Synonym of airplane. A powered heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed wings.
  2. 2
    Synonym of airfoil. An aerodynamic surface.
  3. 3
    Any of various nymphalid butterflies, of various genera, having a slow gliding flight. Also called planes.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews- Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewsér Proto-Hellenic *auhḗr Ancient Greek ᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr) Ancient Greek πλανάω (planáō) Ancient Greek πλάνος (plános) Ancient Greek ᾱ̓ερόπλᾰνος (āeróplănos)der. French aéroplanebor. English aeroplane Borrowed from French aéroplane, from Ancient Greek ἀερόπλανος (aeróplanos, “wandering in air”), from ἀήρ (aḗr, “air”) + πλάνος (plános, “wandering”). First used by Joseph Pline in an 1855 patent.https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Aircraft_Design/NeHoahlhCGMC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Joseph+Pline+glider&pg=PA3&printsec=frontcover;https://books.google.at/books?id=fSQUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA768&dq=Joseph+Pline+brevet+1855&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjgk5Cz_a_wAhXZhf0HHdjNAJwQ6AEwAnoECAIQAg#v=onepage&q=Joseph%20Pline%20brevet%201855&f=false

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aeorplane,aerolpane,aeropalne,aeroplaen,aeroplanne,aeropllane,aeroplnae,aeropplane,aerpolane,aerroplane,areoplane,earoplane

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of aeroplane - 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.

aeorplane2aerolpane2aeropalne2aeroplaen2aeroplanne1aeropllane1aeroplnae2aeropplane1
Edit distance from "aeroplane"

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 "aeroplane"?
"aeroplane" is spelled A-E-R-O-P-L-A-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈɛə̯.ɹə.pleɪ̯n].
What does "aeroplane" mean?
As a noun, "aeroplane" means: Synonym of airplane. A powered heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed wings.
What words are commonly confused with "aeroplane"?
"aeroplane" is commonly confused with "airplane", "aeroplanes". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "aeroplane"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "aeroplane" is [ˈɛə̯.ɹə.pleɪ̯n]. 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 "aeroplane"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ews- Proto-Indo-European *h₂ewsér Proto-Hellenic *auhḗr Ancient Greek ᾱ̓ήρ (āḗr) Ancient Greek πλανάω (planáō) Ancient Greek πλάνος (plános) Ancient Greek ᾱ̓ερόπλᾰνος (āeróplănos)der. French aéroplanebor. Engl... 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.

Using “aeroplane”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-E-R-O-P-L-A-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈɛə̯.ɹə.pleɪ̯n] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “airplane” - see the side-by-side comparison. aeroplane vs airplane
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list