photostat

noun

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

"photostat" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“photostat” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A (non-xerographic) photocopy made using a Photostat machine; (loosely) any photocopy, even a xerographic one.

Key facts for photostat
PropertyValue
Headwordphotostat
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “photostat” sits in English frequency

photostat falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

photostat is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for photostat in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: A genericization from the trade name of one of the earliest commercially successful types of photocopier, a pre-xerography type. Xerography displaced it in the 1960s and 1970s; since then the relics of it are historical curiosities. More in Wikipedia at Pho… The correct English form is photostat, spelled P-H-O-T-O-S-T-A-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A (non-xerographic) photocopy made using a Photostat machine; (loosely) any photocopy, even a xerographic one.
  2. 2
    The machine (essentially, a special camera) on which such a copy is made.

Etymology

A genericization from the trade name of one of the earliest commercially successful types of photocopier, a pre-xerography type. Xerography displaced it in the 1960s and 1970s; since then the relics of it are historical curiosities. More in Wikipedia at Photostat machine.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "photostat"?
"photostat" is spelled P-H-O-T-O-S-T-A-T.
What does "photostat" mean?
As a noun, "photostat" means: A (non-xerographic) photocopy made using a Photostat machine; (loosely) any photocopy, even a xerographic one.
What is the origin of the word "photostat"?
A genericization from the trade name of one of the earliest commercially successful types of photocopier, a pre-xerography type. Xerography displaced it in the 1960s and 1970s; since then the relics of it are historical curiosities. More in Wikipe... 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 “photostat”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-H-O-T-O-S-T-A-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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