keeper

/ˈkiːpə/

//ˈkiːpə// noun

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

"keeper" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“keeper” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,929. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,929
frequency rank, English
1,236
“K” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who keeps (retains) something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-keeper · keeper · English

keeper · rank #6,929 · 8 variants · 11 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,929
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 11 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,236
  • PHOTO-FINISH justified

Nearest frequency peer: justified (-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 “keeper”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “keeper” 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).

keeper vs keeps
67% similar
keeper vs Keller
50% similar
keeper vs Kiefer
50% similar

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

Key facts for keeper
PropertyValue
Headwordkeeper
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkiːpə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,929
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “keeper”

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).keeperlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “justified” (#6,928), “lamb” (#6,930), “liar” (#6,931). Among 1,236 “K” headwords, “keeper” is #6,929. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around keeper (IPA /ˈkiːpə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,929 among 1,236 “K” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for keeper, with forms such as "ekeper", "keeepr", and "keeperr". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "keeps", "Keller", "Kiefer", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English kepere. By surface analysis, keep + -er. The correct English form is keeper, spelled K-E-E-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who keeps (retains) something.
  2. 2
    One who remains or keeps in a place or position.
  3. 3
    A fruit or vegetable that keeps (remains good) for some time without spoiling.
  4. 4
    A person or thing worth keeping.
  5. 5
    A person charged with guarding or caring for, storing, or maintaining something; a custodian, a guard; sometimes a gamekeeper.
  6. 6
    The player charged with guarding a goal or wicket; a goalkeeper or wicketkeeper.
  7. 7
    At Eton College, a student who is the captain of a sport or an activity such as drama.
  8. 8
    A part of a mechanism that catches or retains another part, for example the part of a door lock that fits in the frame and receives the bolt.
  9. 9
    A thin, flexible tress or tongue of material (e.g. leather) at the end of a crop opposite the handle, which is broad enough to prevent the horse's skin from being marked as it might be by a whip.
  10. 10
    An offensive play in which the quarterback runs toward the goal with the ball after it is snapped.
  11. 11
    Synonym of armature (“piece of metal connecting the poles of a magnet to preserve its strength by forming a circuit”).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Finders keepers; losers weepers.
  2. discreet; chaste; keepers at home

Etymology

From Middle English kepere. By surface analysis, keep + -er.

This word in other languages

guardián(Español)gardien(Français)Hüter(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ekeper
  • keeepr
  • keeperr
  • keepper
  • keepre
  • kepeer
  • keper
  • kkeeper

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of keeper - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ekeper2keeepr2keeperr1keepper1keepre2kepeer2keper1kkeeper1
Edit distance from "keeper"

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 "keeper"?
"keeper" is spelled K-E-E-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkiːpə/.
What does "keeper" mean?
As a noun, "keeper" means: One who keeps (retains) something.
What words are commonly confused with "keeper"?
"keeper" is commonly confused with "keeps", "Keller", "Kiefer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "keeper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "keeper" is /ˈkiːpə/. 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 "keeper"?
From Middle English kepere. By surface analysis, keep + -er. 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 "keeper", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

namely#6,936idiots#6,920nerves#6,939helmet#6,917

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

paths8 variantsritual8 variantsshelf8 variantswidth8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list