pewter

/ˈpjuːtə/

//ˈpjuːtə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“pewter” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #38,097 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#38,097
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An alloy of approximately 93–98% tin and 1–2% copper, and the balance of antimony.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pewter vs power
67% similar
pewter vs powder
67% similar
pewter vs poster
67% similar

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

Key facts for pewter
PropertyValue
Headwordpewter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpjuːtə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#38,097
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pewter” 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). pewter 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 pewter is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpjuːtə/. Corpus data places it at rank #38,097 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for pewter, with forms such as "epwter", "petwer", and "pewetr". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "power", "powder", "poster", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English peutre, from Old French peautre, from Vulgar Latin *peltrum (“pewter”), which is of uncertain origin. Possibly related to spelter. The correct English form is pewter, spelled P-E-W-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    An alloy of approximately 93–98% tin and 1–2% copper, and the balance of antimony.
  2. 2
    An alloy of tin and lead.
  3. 3
    Items made of pewter; pewterware.
  4. 4
    A beer tankard made from pewter.
  5. 5
    A dark, dull grey colour, like that of the metal.
  6. 6
    Prize money.

Etymology

From Middle English peutre, from Old French peautre, from Vulgar Latin *peltrum (“pewter”), which is of uncertain origin. Possibly related to spelter.

This word in other languages

peltre(Español)métal blanc(Français)Zinnkrug(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: epwter,petwer,pewetr,pewterr,pewtre,pewtter,pewwter,ppewter,pweter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

epwter2petwer2pewetr2pewterr1pewtre2pewtter1pewwter1ppewter1
Edit distance from "pewter"

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 "pewter"?
"pewter" is spelled P-E-W-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpjuːtə/.
What does "pewter" mean?
As a noun, "pewter" means: An alloy of approximately 93–98% tin and 1–2% copper, and the balance of antimony.
What words are commonly confused with "pewter"?
"pewter" is commonly confused with "power", "powder", "poster". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pewter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pewter" is /ˈpjuːtə/. 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 "pewter"?
From Middle English peutre, from Old French peautre, from Vulgar Latin *peltrum (“pewter”), which is of uncertain origin. Possibly related to spelter. 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 “pewter”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-E-W-T-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpjuːtə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “power” - see the side-by-side comparison. pewter vs power
  • 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