austere

/ɒˈstɪə(ɹ)/

//ɒˈstɪə(ɹ)// adj

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

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

The verdict

“austere” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,822. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,822
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Grim or severe in manner or appearance.

Corpus desk

Index EN-austere · austere · English

austere · rank #28,822 · 9 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,822
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH ASL

Nearest frequency peer: ASL (-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 “austere”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “austere” 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).

austere vs aster
71% similar
austere vs Austen
57% similar

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

Key facts for austere
PropertyValue
Headwordaustere
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɒˈstɪə(ɹ)/
Letters7
Frequency rank#28,822
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “austere”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).austerelands 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 “ASL” (#28,821), “authoritarianism” (#28,823), “arr” (#28,820). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “austere” is #28,822. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around austere (IPA /ɒˈstɪə(ɹ)/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #28,822 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for austere, with forms such as "asutere", "ausetre", and "ausstere". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "aster", "Austen", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek αὐστηρός (austērós, “bitter, harsh, astringent”), having the specific meaning “making the tongue dry” (originally used of fruits, wines), related to αὔω (aúō, “to singe”), αὖος (aûos, “dry”). The correct English form is austere, spelled A-U-S-T-E-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Grim or severe in manner or appearance.
  2. 2
    Lacking decoration; trivial; not extravagant or gaudy.
  3. 3
    Adhering to the economic policy of austerity.
  4. 4
    Harsh; astringent.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The headmistress was an austere old woman.
  2. Even the austere philosopher Immanuel Kant of Koenigsberg, it is said, whose habits were so regular that the citizens of that town set their watches by him, postponed the hour of his afternoon stroll when he received the news [of the fall of the Bastille], thus convincing Koenigsberg that a world-shaking event had indeed happened.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek αὐστηρός (austērós, “bitter, harsh, astringent”), having the specific meaning “making the tongue dry” (originally used of fruits, wines), related to αὔω (aúō, “to singe”), αὖος (aûos, “dry”).

This word in other languages

severo(Español)austère(Français)schlicht(Deutsch)severo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • asutere
  • ausetre
  • ausstere
  • austeer
  • austerre
  • austree
  • austtere
  • autsere
  • uastere

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of austere - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

asutere2ausetre2ausstere1austeer2austerre1austree2austtere1autsere2
Edit distance from "austere"

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 "austere"?
"austere" is spelled A-U-S-T-E-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɒˈstɪə(ɹ)/.
What does "austere" mean?
As an adjective, "austere" means: Grim or severe in manner or appearance.
What words are commonly confused with "austere"?
"austere" is commonly confused with "aster", "Austen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "austere"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "austere" is /ɒˈstɪə(ɹ)/. 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 "austere"?
From Ancient Greek αὐστηρός (austērós, “bitter, harsh, astringent”), having the specific meaning “making the tongue dry” (originally used of fruits, wines), related to αὔω (aúō, “to singe”), αὖος (aûos, “dry”). 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 "austere", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

bagging#28,828bailiff#28,829Aldrich#28,809blister#28,840

Similar misspelling depth

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

armpit9 variantsbacker9 variantsbanked9 variantsalight9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list