postmaster

/ˈpoʊstˌmæstɚ/

//ˈpoʊstˌmæstɚ// noun

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

"postmaster" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“postmaster” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,278. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,278
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The head of a post office.

Corpus desk

Index EN-postmaster · postmaster · English

postmaster · rank #24,278 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #24,278
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH postings

Nearest frequency peer: postings (-1 rank slots)

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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “postmaster”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “postmaster” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for postmaster
PropertyValue
Headwordpostmaster
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpoʊstˌmæstɚ/
Letters10
Frequency rank#24,278
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “postmaster” sits in English frequency

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).postmasterlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “postings” (#24,277), “powerfully” (#24,280), “plating” (#24,275). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around postmaster (IPA /ˈpoʊstˌmæstɚ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #24,278 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for postmaster, with forms such as "opstmaster", "posmtaster", and "posstmaster". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From post + master. The correct English form is postmaster, spelled P-O-S-T-M-A-S-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    The head of a post office.
  2. 2
    The administrator of an electronic mail system.
  3. 3
    A kind of scholar at Merton College, Oxford; portionist.
  4. 4
    One who has charge of a station for the accommodation of travellers; one who supplies post horses.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. With that, Elvin Mercado became the postmaster of Manhattan, ruling the mails from the palatial James A. Farley Post Office on Eighth Avenue.

Etymology

From post + master.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • opstmaster
  • posmtaster
  • posstmaster
  • postamster
  • postmasetr
  • postmasster
  • postmasterr
  • postmastre
  • postmastter
  • postmatser
  • postmmaster
  • postmsater
  • posttmaster
  • potsmaster
  • ppostmaster
  • psotmaster

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of postmaster - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

opstmaster2posmtaster2posstmaster1postamster2postmasetr2postmasster1postmasterr1postmastre2
Edit distance from "postmaster"

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 "postmaster"?
"postmaster" is spelled P-O-S-T-M-A-S-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpoʊstˌmæstɚ/.
What does "postmaster" mean?
As a noun, "postmaster" means: The head of a post office.
What are common misspellings of "postmaster"?
Common misspellings include "opstmaster", "posmtaster", "posstmaster", "postamster", "postmasetr". The correct spelling is "postmaster".
How do you pronounce "postmaster"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "postmaster" is /ˈpoʊstˌmæstɚ/. 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 "postmaster"?
From post + master. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "postmaster", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

powerfully#24,280periodical#24,270ordinances#24,263messengers#24,240

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

imperialist16 variantsabomination16 variantsColchester16 variantsdispleasure16 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "postmaster". Here's where to go from here.

  • 16 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #24,278 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "P" letter cohort. P–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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