painter

/ˈpeɪntə/

//ˈpeɪntə// noun

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

The verdict

“painter” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,955 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,955
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An artist who paints pictures.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

painter vs paints
71% similar
painter vs punter
71% similar
painter vs pointe
71% similar

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

Key facts for painter
PropertyValue
Headwordpainter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpeɪntə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#7,955
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “painter” 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). painter lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for painter is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpeɪntə/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,955 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for painter, with forms such as "apinter", "painetr", and "painnter". 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 18 confusable-pair relationships, "paints", "punter", "pointe", 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 Middle English paynter, peyntere, equivalent to paint + -er. The correct English form is painter, spelled P-A-I-N-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    An artist who paints pictures.
  2. 2
    A laborer or workman who paints surfaces using a paintbrush or other means.

Etymology

From Middle English paynter, peyntere, equivalent to paint + -er.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: apinter,painetr,painnter,painterr,paintre,paintter,paitner,paniter,pianter,ppainter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of painter - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

apinter2painetr2painnter1painterr1paintre2paintter1paitner2paniter2
Edit distance from "painter"

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 "painter"?
"painter" is spelled P-A-I-N-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpeɪntə/.
What does "painter" mean?
As a noun, "painter" means: An artist who paints pictures.
What words are commonly confused with "painter"?
"painter" is commonly confused with "paints", "punter", "pointe". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "painter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "painter" is /ˈpeɪntə/. 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 "painter"?
From Middle English paynter, peyntere, equivalent to paint + -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.

Using “painter”

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

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