apostle

/əˈpɑsl̩/

//əˈpɑsl̩// noun

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

"apostle" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“apostle” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,749 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#15,749
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A missionary, or leader of a religious mission, especially one in the early Christian Church (but see Apostle).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

apostle vs apostate
75% similar

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

Key facts for apostle
PropertyValue
Headwordapostle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈpɑsl̩/
Letters7
Frequency rank#15,749
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “apostle” 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). apostle 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 apostle is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈpɑsl̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,749 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for apostle, with forms such as "aopstle", "aposlte", and "aposstle". 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, "apostate", 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 apostle, from Old French apostle, from Late Latin apostolus, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (apóstolos, “one sent forth, apostle”). Merged with Old English apostol, borrowing from the same Latin source. The correct English form is apostle, spelled A-P-O-S-T-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A missionary, or leader of a religious mission, especially one in the early Christian Church (but see Apostle).
  2. 2
    A pioneer or early advocate of a particular cause, prophet of a belief.
  3. 3
    A top-ranking ecclesiastical official in the twelve seat administrative council of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  4. 4
    A person who is plucked, that is, refused an academic degree.

Etymology

From Middle English apostle, from Old French apostle, from Late Latin apostolus, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (apóstolos, “one sent forth, apostle”). Merged with Old English apostol, borrowing from the same Latin source.

Synonyms

disciple

This word in other languages

apóstol(Español)apôtre(Français)Apostel(Deutsch)apóstolo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aopstle,aposlte,aposstle,apostel,apostlle,aposttle,apotsle,appostle,apsotle,paostle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aopstle2aposlte2aposstle1apostel2apostlle1aposttle1apotsle2appostle1
Edit distance from "apostle"

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 "apostle"?
"apostle" is spelled A-P-O-S-T-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈpɑsl̩/.
What does "apostle" mean?
As a noun, "apostle" means: A missionary, or leader of a religious mission, especially one in the early Christian Church (but see Apostle).
What words are commonly confused with "apostle"?
"apostle" is commonly confused with "apostate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "apostle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "apostle" is /əˈpɑsl̩/. 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 "apostle"?
From Middle English apostle, from Old French apostle, from Late Latin apostolus, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (apóstolos, “one sent forth, apostle”). Merged with Old English apostol, borrowing from the same Latin source. 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 “apostle”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-P-O-S-T-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈpɑsl̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “apostate” - see the side-by-side comparison. apostle vs apostate
  • 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