postage

/ˈpəʊstɪd͡ʒ/

//ˈpəʊstɪd͡ʒ// noun

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

The verdict

“postage” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,812 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#14,812
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The system of transporting letters, and parcels.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

postage vs postal
71% similar
postage vs posture
71% similar
postage vs prostate
75% similar

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

Key facts for postage
PropertyValue
Headwordpostage
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpəʊstɪd͡ʒ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#14,812
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “postage” 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). postage 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 postage is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpəʊstɪd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,812 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 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 postage, with forms such as "opstage", "posatge", and "posstage". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "postal", "posture", "prostate", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From post + -age. The correct English form is postage, spelled P-O-S-T-A-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The system of transporting letters, and parcels.
  2. 2
    The charge for posting an item.
  3. 3
    The postage stamp, or similar token, affixed to an item of post as evidence of payment.

Etymology

From post + -age.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: opstage,posatge,posstage,postaeg,postagge,postgae,posttage,potsage,ppostage,psotage

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of postage - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

opstage2posatge2posstage1postaeg2postagge1postgae2posttage1potsage2
Edit distance from "postage"

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 "postage"?
"postage" is spelled P-O-S-T-A-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpəʊstɪd͡ʒ/.
What does "postage" mean?
As a noun, "postage" means: The system of transporting letters, and parcels.
What words are commonly confused with "postage"?
"postage" is commonly confused with "postal", "posture", "prostate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "postage"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "postage" is /ˈpəʊstɪd͡ʒ/. 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 "postage"?
From post + -age. 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 “postage”

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

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