postponement

noun

"postponement" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“postponement” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,969 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#27,969
frequency rank, English
12
letters
19
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A delay, as a formal delay in a proceeding.

Key facts for postponement
PropertyValue
Headwordpostponement
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters12
Frequency rank#27,969
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “postponement” 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). postponement 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 postponement is 12 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #27,969 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A delay, as a formal delay in a proceeding.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for postponement, with forms such as "opstponement", "posptonement", and "posstponement". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From postpone + -ment. The correct English form is postponement, spelled P-O-S-T-P-O-N-E-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A delay, as a formal delay in a proceeding.

Etymology

From postpone + -ment.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: opstponement,posptonement,posstponement,postopnement,postpnoement,postpoenment,postponeemnt,postponemennt,postponementt,postponemetn,postponemment,postponemnet,postponmeent,postponnement,postpponement,posttponement,potsponement,ppostponement,psotponement

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of postponement - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

opstponement2posptonement2posstponement1postopnement2postpnoement2postpoenment2postponeemnt2postponemennt1
Edit distance from "postponement"

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 "postponement"?
"postponement" is spelled P-O-S-T-P-O-N-E-M-E-N-T.
What does "postponement" mean?
As a noun, "postponement" means: A delay, as a formal delay in a proceeding.
What are common misspellings of "postponement"?
Common misspellings include "opstponement", "posptonement", "posstponement", "postopnement", "postpnoement". The correct spelling is "postponement".
What is the origin of the word "postponement"?
From postpone + -ment. 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 “postponement”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-O-S-T-P-O-N-E-M-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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