buttress

/ˈbʌtɹəs/

//ˈbʌtɹəs// noun

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

"buttress" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“buttress” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #43,068 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#43,068
frequency rank, English
8
letters
7
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A brick, concrete or stone structure built against another structure to support it.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

buttress vs butters
75% similar

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

Key facts for buttress
PropertyValue
Headwordbuttress
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbʌtɹəs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#43,068
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “buttress” 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). buttress 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 buttress is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbʌtɹəs/. Corpus data places it at rank #43,068 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for buttress, with forms such as "bbuttress", "btutress", and "butress". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "butters", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French ars bouterez (noun, literally “supporting arcs”), from bouterez (adjective), oblique plural of bouteret (rare in the singular), from Frankish *bôtan, from Proto-Germanic *bautaną (“to push”). Ultimately cognate with beat. The correct English form is buttress, spelled B-U-T-T-R-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A brick, concrete or stone structure built against another structure to support it.
  2. 2
    Anything that serves to support something; a prop.
  3. 3
    A buttress root.
  4. 4
    A feature jutting prominently out from a mountain or rock.
  5. 5
    Anything that supports or strengthens.

Etymology

From Old French ars bouterez (noun, literally “supporting arcs”), from bouterez (adjective), oblique plural of bouteret (rare in the singular), from Frankish *bôtan, from Proto-Germanic *bautaną (“to push”). Ultimately cognate with beat.

This word in other languages

contrafuerte(Español)arc-boutant(Français)Stützpfeiler(Deutsch)apoio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbuttress,btutress,butress,butrtess,buttrress,buttrses,ubttress

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbuttress1btutress2butress1butrtess2buttrress1buttrses2ubttress2
Edit distance from "buttress"

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 "buttress"?
"buttress" is spelled B-U-T-T-R-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbʌtɹəs/.
What does "buttress" mean?
As a noun, "buttress" means: A brick, concrete or stone structure built against another structure to support it.
What words are commonly confused with "buttress"?
"buttress" is commonly confused with "butters". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "buttress"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "buttress" is /ˈbʌtɹəs/. 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 "buttress"?
From Old French ars bouterez (noun, literally “supporting arcs”), from bouterez (adjective), oblique plural of bouteret (rare in the singular), from Frankish *bôtan, from Proto-Germanic *bautaną (“to push”). Ultimately cognate with beat. 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 “buttress”

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

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