letterpress

/ˈlɛtɚˌpɹɛs/

//ˈlɛtɚˌpɹɛs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“letterpress” is uncommon English (frequency #56,243 among 16,425 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#56,243
frequency rank, English
16,425
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The printing process in which ink is applied to the top surface of a raised image area, which is then pressed against paper to transfer the image.

Corpus desk

Index EN-letterpress · letterpress · English

letterpress · rank #56,243 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #56,243
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 16,425
  • PHOTO-FINISH lesbianism

Nearest frequency peer: lesbianism (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “letterpress”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “letterpress” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for letterpress
PropertyValue
Headwordletterpress
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɛtɚˌpɹɛs/
Letters11
Frequency rank#56,243
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “letterpress” 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). letterpress lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

letterpress is uncommon English at frequency #56,243 among 16,425 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈlɛtɚˌpɹɛs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for letterpress, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From letter + press. The correct English form is letterpress, spelled L-E-T-T-E-R-P-R-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The printing process in which ink is applied to the top surface of a raised image area, which is then pressed against paper to transfer the image.
  2. 2
    Printing directly from type, in distinction from printing from plates.
  3. 3
    A machine used for such printing.

Etymology

From letter + press.

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "letterpress"?
"letterpress" is spelled L-E-T-T-E-R-P-R-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɛtɚˌpɹɛs/.
What does "letterpress" mean?
As a noun, "letterpress" means: The printing process in which ink is applied to the top surface of a raised image area, which is then pressed against paper to transfer the image.
How do you pronounce "letterpress"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "letterpress" is /ˈlɛtɚˌpɹɛs/. 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 "letterpress"?
From letter + press. 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 "letterpress", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

mantelpiece#56,267morgenstern#56,295negligently#56,313orthodontic#56,337
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