postern
/ˈpɒst(ə)n/
"postern" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“postern” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A back gate, back door, side entrance, or other gateway distinct from the main entrance, especially in a city wall or fortification.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | postern |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈpɒst(ə)n/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “postern” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
postern is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɒst(ə)n/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for postern in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French posterne, alteration of posterle, from Late Latin posterula (“back door”), from Latin posterus (“later”). The correct English form is postern, spelled P-O-S-T-E-R-N.
Definition
- 1A back gate, back door, side entrance, or other gateway distinct from the main entrance, especially in a city wall or fortification.
- 2A separate or hidden way in or out of a place, situation etc.
- 3A subterranean passage communicating between the parade and the main ditch, or between the ditches and the interior of the outworks.
Etymology
From Old French posterne, alteration of posterle, from Late Latin posterula (“back door”), from Latin posterus (“later”).
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
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Using “postern”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-O-S-T-E-R-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpɒst(ə)n/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.