paratrooper

/ˈpæɹətɹuːpə/

//ˈpæɹətɹuːpə// noun

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

The verdict

“paratrooper” is uncommon English (frequency #52,543 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,543
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A type of soldier who is trained to enter combat zones by parachuting from aircraft.

Corpus desk

Index EN-paratrooper · paratrooper · English

paratrooper · rank #52,543 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,543
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH Palmdale

Nearest frequency peer: Palmdale (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “paratrooper”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “paratrooper” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for paratrooper
PropertyValue
Headwordparatrooper
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpæɹətɹuːpə/
Letters11
Frequency rank#52,543
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “paratrooper” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).paratrooperfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Palmdale” (#52,542), “Pardew” (#52,544), “palisade” (#52,541). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “paratrooper” is #52,543. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

paratrooper is uncommon English at frequency #52,543 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpæɹətɹuːpə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A type of soldier who is trained to enter combat zones by parachuting from aircraft.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for paratrooper, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Blend of parachute + trooper. The correct English form is paratrooper, spelled P-A-R-A-T-R-O-O-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A type of soldier who is trained to enter combat zones by parachuting from aircraft.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Upon receiving intelligence reports about the massing of enemy paratroopers, General Peng Dehuai posted a defence regiment at Yan'an airfield, and requested that Mao leave Yan'an as soon as possible.

Etymology

Blend of parachute + trooper.

This word in other languages

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 "paratrooper"?
"paratrooper" is spelled P-A-R-A-T-R-O-O-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpæɹətɹuːpə/.
What does "paratrooper" mean?
As a noun, "paratrooper" means: A type of soldier who is trained to enter combat zones by parachuting from aircraft.
How do you pronounce "paratrooper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "paratrooper" is /ˈpæɹətɹuːpə/. 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 "paratrooper"?
Blend of parachute + trooper. 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 "paratrooper", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list