postmodernism

/pəʊstˈmɑdɚnɪzəm/

//pəʊstˈmɑdɚnɪzəm// noun

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

"postmodernism" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“postmodernism” has 21 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #41,315. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#41,315
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
21
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any style in art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that reacts against an earlier modernist movement.

Corpus desk

Index EN-postmodernism · postmodernism · English

postmodernism · rank #41,315 · 21 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #41,315
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 21 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH postgame

Nearest frequency peer: postgame (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “postmodernism”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “postmodernism” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for postmodernism
PropertyValue
Headwordpostmodernism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pəʊstˈmɑdɚnɪzəm/
Letters13
Frequency rank#41,315
Misspellings tracked21
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “postmodernism”

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).postmodernismlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “postgame” (#41,314), “pothole” (#41,316), “potting” (#41,317). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “postmodernism” is #41,315. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 21 spelling variants around postmodernism (IPA /pəʊstˈmɑdɚnɪzəm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #41,315 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 21 likely wrong-spelling variants for postmodernism, with forms such as "opstmodernism", "posmtodernism", and "posstmodernism". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From post- + modernism. The correct English form is postmodernism, spelled P-O-S-T-M-O-D-E-R-N-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any style in art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that reacts against an earlier modernist movement.
  2. 2
    An attitude of skepticism or irony toward modernist ideologies, often questioning the assumptions of Enlightenment rationality and rejecting the idea of objective truth.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The most famous definition of postmodernism is Lyotard's: “I define postmodern as incredulity towards metanarratives.” […] To accept Lyotard's definition of postmodernism is to accept the premise that postmodernism is the first movement since the Enlightenment to think critically about such narratives.

Etymology

From post- + modernism.

This word in other languages

postmodernidad(Español)post-modernisme(Français)Postmoderne(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • opstmodernism
  • posmtodernism
  • posstmodernism
  • postmdoernism
  • postmmodernism
  • postmoddernism
  • postmodenrism
  • postmoderinsm
  • postmodernims
  • postmodernismm
  • postmodernissm
  • postmodernnism
  • postmodernsim
  • postmoderrnism
  • postmodrenism
  • postmoedrnism
  • postomdernism
  • posttmodernism
  • potsmodernism
  • ppostmodernism
  • psotmodernism

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

opstmodernism2posmtodernism2posstmodernism1postmdoernism2postmmodernism1postmoddernism1postmodenrism2postmoderinsm2
Edit distance from "postmodernism"

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 "postmodernism"?
"postmodernism" is spelled P-O-S-T-M-O-D-E-R-N-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /pəʊstˈmɑdɚnɪzəm/.
What does "postmodernism" mean?
As a noun, "postmodernism" means: Any style in art, architecture, literature, philosophy, etc., that reacts against an earlier modernist movement.
What are common misspellings of "postmodernism"?
Common misspellings include "opstmodernism", "posmtodernism", "posstmodernism", "postmdoernism", "postmmodernism". The correct spelling is "postmodernism".
How do you pronounce "postmodernism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "postmodernism" is /pəʊstˈmɑdɚnɪzəm/. 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 "postmodernism"?
From post- + modernism. 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 "postmodernism", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

procrastinate#41,321reciprocating#41,340incrementally#41,193unambiguously#41,445

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (21 here; floor ≥5).

overpopulation21 variantscondescension21 variantsexcommunication21 variantstranslocation21 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list