cornerstone

noun

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

"cornerstone" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cornerstone” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,333. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,333
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A stone forming the base at the corner of a building.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cornerstone · cornerstone · English

cornerstone · rank #17,333 · 17 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,333
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH correctness

Nearest frequency peer: correctness (+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 “cornerstone”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cornerstone” 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
Key facts for cornerstone
PropertyValue
Headwordcornerstone
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters11
Frequency rank#17,333
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cornerstone”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).cornerstonelands 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 “correctness” (#17,334), “counterfeit” (#17,335), “conglomerate” (#17,330). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cornerstone” is #17,333. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around cornerstone, anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,333 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for cornerstone, with forms such as "ccornerstone", "conrerstone", and "corenrstone". 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. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English corner ston; equivalent to corner + stone. The figurative sense is in part after Psalm 118:22, and is also quoted several times in the New Testament. The correct English form is cornerstone, spelled C-O-R-N-E-R-S-T-O-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A stone forming the base at the corner of a building.
  2. 2
    Such a stone used ceremonially, often inscribed with the architect's and owner's names, dates and other details.
  3. 3
    That which is prominent, fundamental, noteworthy, or central.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Clutch it like a cornerstone Otherwise it all comes down Justify denials and Grip 'em to the lonesome end
  2. The cornerstone on the Flatiron Building is set on the Fifth Avenue facade.

Etymology

From Middle English corner ston; equivalent to corner + stone. The figurative sense is in part after Psalm 118:22, and is also quoted several times in the New Testament.

This word in other languages

piedra angular(Español)pierre angulaire(Français)Eckstein(Deutsch)fundamento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccornerstone
  • conrerstone
  • corenrstone
  • cornerrstone
  • cornersotne
  • cornersstone
  • cornerstnoe
  • cornerstoen
  • cornerstonne
  • cornersttone
  • cornertsone
  • cornesrtone
  • cornnerstone
  • cornrestone
  • corrnerstone
  • cronerstone
  • ocrnerstone

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccornerstone1conrerstone2corenrstone2cornerrstone1cornersotne2cornersstone1cornerstnoe2cornerstoen2
Edit distance from "cornerstone"

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 "cornerstone"?
"cornerstone" is spelled C-O-R-N-E-R-S-T-O-N-E.
What does "cornerstone" mean?
As a noun, "cornerstone" means: A stone forming the base at the corner of a building.
What are common misspellings of "cornerstone"?
Common misspellings include "ccornerstone", "conrerstone", "corenrstone", "cornerrstone", "cornersotne". The correct spelling is "cornerstone".
What is the origin of the word "cornerstone"?
From Middle English corner ston; equivalent to corner + stone. The figurative sense is in part after Psalm 118:22, and is also quoted several times in the New Testament. 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 "cornerstone", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

correctness#17,334counterfeit#17,335conditioner#17,327coefficient#17,322

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

heterosexual17 variantsintermittent17 variantsSmithsonian17 variantsplaywright17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list