escarpment

/ɪˈskɑːp.mənt/

//ɪˈskɑːp.mənt// noun

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

"escarpment" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“escarpment” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #45,911. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#45,911
frequency rank, English
18,836
“E” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A steep descent or declivity; steep face or edge of a ridge; ground about a fortified place, cut away nearly vertically to prevent hostile approach.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

escarpment vs encampment
80% similar

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

Key facts for escarpment
PropertyValue
Headwordescarpment
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪˈskɑːp.mənt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#45,911
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “escarpment” 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). escarpment lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around escarpment (IPA /ɪˈskɑːp.mənt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #45,911 among 18,836 “E” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A steep descent or declivity; steep face or edge of a ridge; ground about a fortified place, cut away nearly vertically to prevent hostile approach.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for escarpment, with forms such as "ecsarpment", "esacrpment", and "escaprment". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "encampment", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French escarpement. By surface analysis, escarp + -ment. The correct English form is escarpment, spelled E-S-C-A-R-P-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A steep descent or declivity; steep face or edge of a ridge; ground about a fortified place, cut away nearly vertically to prevent hostile approach.

Etymology

Borrowed from French escarpement. By surface analysis, escarp + -ment.

This word in other languages

escarpadura(Español)escarpement(Français)Steilhang(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ecsarpment
  • esacrpment
  • escaprment
  • escarmpent
  • escarpemnt
  • escarpmennt
  • escarpmentt
  • escarpmetn
  • escarpmment
  • escarpmnet
  • escarppment
  • escarrpment
  • esccarpment
  • escrapment
  • esscarpment
  • secarpment

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ecsarpment2esacrpment2escaprment2escarmpent2escarpemnt2escarpmennt1escarpmentt1escarpmetn2
Edit distance from "escarpment"

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 "escarpment"?
"escarpment" is spelled E-S-C-A-R-P-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈskɑːp.mənt/.
What does "escarpment" mean?
As a noun, "escarpment" means: A steep descent or declivity; steep face or edge of a ridge; ground about a fortified place, cut away nearly vertically to prevent hostile approach.
What words are commonly confused with "escarpment"?
"escarpment" is commonly confused with "encampment". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "escarpment"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "escarpment" is /ɪˈskɑːp.mənt/. 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 "escarpment"?
Borrowed from French escarpement. By surface analysis, escarp + -ment. 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 “escarpment”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-S-C-A-R-P-M-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɪˈskɑːp.mənt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “encampment” - see the side-by-side comparison. escarpment vs encampment
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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