flagstaff

/ˈflæɡstæf/

//ˈflæɡstæf// noun

"flagstaff" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“flagstaff” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,807. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,807
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A pole on which a flag is raised.

Corpus desk

Index EN-flagstaff · flagstaff · English

flagstaff · rank #32,807 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #32,807
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH ferocity

Nearest frequency peer: ferocity (-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 “flagstaff”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “flagstaff” 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).

flagstaff vs Falstaff
67% similar

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

Key facts for flagstaff
PropertyValue
Headwordflagstaff
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈflæɡstæf/
Letters9
Frequency rank#32,807
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “flagstaff”

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).flagstafflands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “ferocity” (#32,806), “fluidity” (#32,808), “follies” (#32,809). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “flagstaff” is #32,807. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around flagstaff (IPA /ˈflæɡstæf/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #32,807 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A pole on which a flag is raised.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for flagstaff, with forms such as "falgstaff", "fflagstaff", and "flaggstaff". 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, "Falstaff", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From flag + staff. The correct English form is flagstaff, spelled F-L-A-G-S-T-A-F-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    A pole on which a flag is raised.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Snowball had found in the harness-room an old green tablecloth of Mrs. Jones's and had painted on it a hoof and a horn in white. This was run up the flagstaff in the farmhouse garden every Sunday morning.
  2. 1988, Rhodes Boyson, Hansard, 7 June, 1988, Criminal Justice Bill, https://web.archive.org/web/20190212095659/https://www.hansard-corpus.org/ The abolition of the death penalty has been the flagstaff of the permissive society. We know what that has meant for the people of this country. Local newspapers are full of articles about robbery, murder, rape and,…

Etymology

From flag + staff.

Synonyms

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • falgstaff
  • fflagstaff
  • flaggstaff
  • flagsatff
  • flagsstaff
  • flagstaf
  • flagstfaf
  • flagsttaff
  • flagtsaff
  • flasgtaff
  • flgastaff
  • fllagstaff
  • lfagstaff

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

falgstaff2fflagstaff1flaggstaff1flagsatff2flagsstaff1flagstaf1flagstfaf2flagsttaff1
Edit distance from "flagstaff"

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 "flagstaff"?
"flagstaff" is spelled F-L-A-G-S-T-A-F-F. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈflæɡstæf/.
What does "flagstaff" mean?
As a noun, "flagstaff" means: A pole on which a flag is raised.
What words are commonly confused with "flagstaff"?
"flagstaff" is commonly confused with "Falstaff". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "flagstaff"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "flagstaff" is /ˈflæɡstæf/. 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 "flagstaff"?
From flag + staff. 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 "flagstaff", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list