cistern

Name: cistern, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈsɪs.tən/

//ˈsɪs.tən// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“cistern” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #42,061 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#42,061
frequency rank, English: 7
letters: 11
tracked misspellings: 1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A reservoir or tank for holding water, especially for catching and holding rainwater for later use.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

cistern vs caster

71% similar

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

Key facts for cistern
Property	Value
Headword	cistern
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈsɪs.tən/
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#42,061
Misspellings tracked	11
Confusable pairs	1
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cistern” 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). cistern lands here:

#42,061

#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 cistern is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɪs.tən/. Corpus data places it at rank #42,061 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for cistern, with forms such as "ccistern", "cisetrn", and "cisstern". 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, "caster", 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 cisterne, from Old French cisterne (Modern French citerne) from Latin cisterna, from cista (“box”), from Ancient Greek κίστη (kístē, “box”). Doublet of cisterna. The correct English form is cistern, spelled C-I-S-T-E-R-N.

Definition

1
A reservoir or tank for holding water, especially for catching and holding rainwater for later use.
2
In a flush toilet, the container in which the water used for flushing is held; a toilet tank.
3
A shallow, typically oval, vessel made of porcelain, pottery, or glass.
4
The receptacle that holds the fuel in an oil lamp.
5
A cisterna.
6
The vessel surrounding the condenser in a steam engine.

Etymology

From Middle English cisterne, from Old French cisterne (Modern French citerne) from Latin cisterna, from cista (“box”), from Ancient Greek κίστη (kístē, “box”). Doublet of cisterna.

This word in other languages

aljibe(Español)citerne(Français)Zisterne(Deutsch)cisterna(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ccistern,cisetrn,cisstern,cistenr,cisternn,cisterrn,cistren,cisttern,citsern,csitern,icstern

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cistern - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

Edit distance from "cistern"

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 "cistern"?

"cistern" is spelled C-I-S-T-E-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪs.tən/.

What does "cistern" mean?

As a noun, "cistern" means: A reservoir or tank for holding water, especially for catching and holding rainwater for later use.

What words are commonly confused with "cistern"?

"cistern" is commonly confused with "caster". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "cistern"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cistern" is /ˈsɪs.tən/. 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 "cistern"?

From Middle English cisterne, from Old French cisterne (Modern French citerne) from Latin cisterna, from cista (“box”), from Ancient Greek κίστη (kístē, “box”). Doublet of cisterna. 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 “cistern”

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

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