misstep

/ˈmɪs.stɛp/

//ˈmɪs.stɛp// noun

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

"misstep" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“misstep” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #47,201. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#47,201
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A step that is wrong, a false step.

Corpus desk

Index EN-misstep · misstep · English

misstep · rank #47,201 · 9 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #47,201
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH misinterpret

Nearest frequency peer: misinterpret (-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 “misstep”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “misstep” 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).

misstep vs mister
71% similar
misstep vs missed
71% similar
misstep vs Misses
57% similar

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

Key facts for misstep
PropertyValue
Headwordmisstep
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɪs.stɛp/
Letters7
Frequency rank#47,201
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “misstep”

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).missteplands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “misinterpret” (#47,200), “Mitsui” (#47,202), “MMC” (#47,203). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “misstep” is #47,201. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around misstep (IPA /ˈmɪs.stɛp/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #47,201 among 4,057 “M” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for misstep, with forms such as "imsstep", "missetp", and "misstepp". 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. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "mister", "missed", "Misses", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From mis- + step. The correct English form is misstep, spelled M-I-S-S-T-E-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A step that is wrong, a false step.
  2. 2
    An error or mistake.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. On a high ledge, a misstep could be fatal.
  2. […] burdened as he was, he did not think of length or height or toil. He remembered only to avoid a misstep and to keep his direction.

Etymology

From mis- + step.

Synonyms

errorfaux pasmistake

This word in other languages

desliz(Español)faux pas(Français)Fehltritt(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • imsstep
  • missetp
  • misstepp
  • misstpe
  • missttep
  • mistep
  • mistsep
  • mmisstep
  • msistep

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

imsstep2missetp2misstepp1misstpe2missttep1mistep1mistsep2mmisstep1
Edit distance from "misstep"

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 "misstep"?
"misstep" is spelled M-I-S-S-T-E-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪs.stɛp/.
What does "misstep" mean?
As a noun, "misstep" means: A step that is wrong, a false step.
What words are commonly confused with "misstep"?
"misstep" is commonly confused with "mister", "missed", "Misses". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "misstep"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "misstep" is /ˈmɪs.stɛp/. 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 "misstep"?
From mis- + step. 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 "misstep", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Montauk#47,206morello#47,208Mercado#47,190newness#47,224

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Mowers9 variantsMarkey9 variantsnipping9 variantsLuciana9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list