cistern

/ˈsɪs.tən/

//ˈsɪs.tən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“cistern” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,061. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,061
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A reservoir or tank for holding water, especially for catching and holding rainwater for later use.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cistern · cistern · English

cistern · rank #42,061 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #42,061
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH classifieds

Nearest frequency peer: classifieds (+2 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 “cistern”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cistern” 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).

cistern vs caster
71% similar

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

Key facts for cistern
PropertyValue
Headwordcistern
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪs.tən/
Letters7
Frequency rank#42,061
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cistern”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “classifieds” (#42,063), “chiseled” (#42,058), “cleverness” (#42,064). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cistern” is #42,061. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around cistern (IPA /ˈsɪs.tən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,061 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. 1913, A.C. Cotter, Catholic Encyclopedia, "Wells in Scripture", Their extreme necessity is attested by the countless number of old, unused cisterns with which the Holy Land is literally honeycombed.
  2. On a broad ledge near the top, we found a stone cabin. Higher up was a cistern and a few more terraces.

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.

ccistern1cisetrn2cisstern1cistenr2cisternn1cisterrn1cistren2cisttern1
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "cistern", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

crucify#42,075cuticle#42,078Denning#42,086Boateng#42,033

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Calabria11 variantsdateline11 variantsBlakely11 variantsFibonacci11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list