preposterous

/pɹɪˈpɒstəɹəs/

//pɹɪˈpɒstəɹəs// adj

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

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

The verdict

“preposterous” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,551. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,551
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
18
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Absurd, or contrary to common sense.

Corpus desk

Index EN-preposterous · preposterous · English

preposterous · rank #24,551 · 18 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #24,551
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 18 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH POTUS

Nearest frequency peer: POTUS (-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 “preposterous”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “preposterous” 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 preposterous
PropertyValue
Headwordpreposterous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/pɹɪˈpɒstəɹəs/
Letters12
Frequency rank#24,551
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “preposterous”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).preposterouslands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “POTUS” (#24,550), “pressuring” (#24,552), “postdoctoral” (#24,549). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “preposterous” is #24,551. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around preposterous (IPA /pɹɪˈpɒstəɹəs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #24,551 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Absurd, or contrary to common sense.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for preposterous, with forms such as "perposterous", "ppreposterous", and "preopsterous". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin praeposterus (“with the hinder part before, reversed, inverted, perverted”), from prae (“before”) + posterus (“coming after”). The correct English form is preposterous, spelled P-R-E-P-O-S-T-E-R-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Absurd, or contrary to common sense.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [...] I did incounter that obſeene and moſt prepoſterous euent that draweth frõ my ſnowhite pen the ebon coloured Incke, which here thou vieweſt, beholdeſt, ſuruayeſt, or ſeeſt. [...] There did I ſee that low ſpirited Swaine, [...] hight Coſtard, (Clow[ne]. O mee) ſorted and conſorted contrary to thy eſtabliſhed proclaymed Edict and continent Cannon; Whic…
  2. So I am to send Mrs. Churchill down to the very spot where a treasonable correspondence is most easily managed; and by the ease with which she gets out of a first scrape, give her all possible encouragement to get into another. Well, I was quite right in asking what preposterous request had you come here about!

Etymology

From Latin praeposterus (“with the hinder part before, reversed, inverted, perverted”), from prae (“before”) + posterus (“coming after”).

Synonyms

absurdfoolishirrationalnonsensical

This word in other languages

absurdo(Español)aberrant(Français)grotesk(Deutsch)insensato(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • perposterous
  • ppreposterous
  • preopsterous
  • preposetrous
  • prepossterous
  • preposteorus
  • preposterosu
  • preposterouss
  • preposterrous
  • preposteruos
  • prepostreous
  • prepostterous
  • prepotserous
  • prepposterous
  • prepsoterous
  • prpeosterous
  • prreposterous
  • rpeposterous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

perposterous2ppreposterous1preopsterous2preposetrous2prepossterous1preposteorus2preposterosu2preposterouss1
Edit distance from "preposterous"

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 "preposterous"?
"preposterous" is spelled P-R-E-P-O-S-T-E-R-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /pɹɪˈpɒstəɹəs/.
What does "preposterous" mean?
As an adjective, "preposterous" means: Absurd, or contrary to common sense.
What are common misspellings of "preposterous"?
Common misspellings include "perposterous", "ppreposterous", "preopsterous", "preposetrous", "prepossterous". The correct spelling is "preposterous".
How do you pronounce "preposterous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "preposterous" is /pɹɪˈpɒstəɹəs/. 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 "preposterous"?
From Latin praeposterus (“with the hinder part before, reversed, inverted, perverted”), from prae (“before”) + posterus (“coming after”). 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 "preposterous", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

postdoctoral#24,549preventative#24,553inexplicable#24,480inconclusive#24,477

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

screwdriver18 variantstransfusion18 variantscheeseburger18 variantsconsultative18 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list