pit stop

/ˈpɪt.stɑp/

//ˈpɪt.stɑp// noun

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A stop made during an automobile race at the pit to refuel and perform other periodic maintenance on the vehicle.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pit-stop · pit stop · English

pit stop · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for pit stop
PropertyValue
Headwordpit stop
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɪt.stɑp/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “pit stop” in English

pit stopsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

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

Rare enough to double-check

pit stop is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɪt.stɑp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for pit stop in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From pit + stop. First use appears c. 1915. The correct English form is pit stop, spelled P-I-T- -S-T-O-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A stop made during an automobile race at the pit to refuel and perform other periodic maintenance on the vehicle.
  2. 2
    A brief stop for fuel, rest or refreshment during an automobile journey.
  3. 3
    A stop during any pedestrian or automobile travel for any utilitarian personal purpose, especially use of a bathroom.
  4. 4
    A place that offers food, beverages, and other goods and services for those stopping on an automobile journey.
  5. 5
    A utilitarian stop on a figurative journey.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Alonso and Ferrari may well privately regret the decision to delay their second pit stop until two laps after Maldonado made his on the 24th of 66 laps.

Etymology

From pit + stop. First use appears c. 1915.

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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "pit stop"?
"pit stop" is spelled P-I-T- -S-T-O-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɪt.stɑp/.
What does "pit stop" mean?
As a noun, "pit stop" means: A stop made during an automobile race at the pit to refuel and perform other periodic maintenance on the vehicle.
How do you pronounce "pit stop"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pit stop" is /ˈpɪt.stɑp/. 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 "pit stop"?
From pit + stop. First use appears c. 1915. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list