resistor

/ɹɪˈzɪstə/

//ɹɪˈzɪstə// noun

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

"resistor" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“resistor” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,694. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,694
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who resists, especially a person who fights against an occupying army.

Corpus desk

Index EN-resistor · resistor · English

resistor · rank #28,694 · 12 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,694
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH restructure

Nearest frequency peer: restructure (+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 “resistor”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “resistor” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

resistor vs resist
75% similar
resistor vs register
75% similar
resistor vs resisted
75% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for resistor
PropertyValue
Headwordresistor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɹɪˈzɪstə/
Letters8
Frequency rank#28,694
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “resistor”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).resistorlands 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 “restructure” (#28,695), “remade” (#28,692), “revolting” (#28,696). Among 3,094 “R” headwords, “resistor” is #28,694. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around resistor (IPA /ɹɪˈzɪstə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,694 among 3,094 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for resistor, with forms such as "ersistor", "reisstor", and "resisotr". 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 also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "resist", "register", "resisted", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From resist + -or. The correct English form is resistor, spelled R-E-S-I-S-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who resists, especially a person who fights against an occupying army.
  2. 2
    An electric component that transmits current in direct proportion to the voltage across it.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The resistor limits the current and prevents damage to the LED. […] It is possible to pick resistors and capacitors that will make the pitch higher than humans can hear.

Etymology

From resist + -or.

This word in other languages

resistencia(Español)résistant(Français)Widerstandskämpfer(Deutsch)resistente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ersistor
  • reisstor
  • resisotr
  • resisstor
  • resistorr
  • resistro
  • resisttor
  • resitsor
  • ressistor
  • ressitor
  • rresistor
  • rseistor

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ersistor2reisstor2resisotr2resisstor1resistorr1resistro2resisttor1resitsor2
Edit distance from "resistor"

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 "resistor"?
"resistor" is spelled R-E-S-I-S-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ɹɪˈzɪstə/.
What does "resistor" mean?
As a noun, "resistor" means: One who resists, especially a person who fights against an occupying army.
What words are commonly confused with "resistor"?
"resistor" is commonly confused with "resist", "register", "resisted". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "resistor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "resistor" is /ɹɪˈzɪstə/. 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 "resistor"?
From resist + -or. 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 "resistor", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

rhapsody#28,697redeemer#28,688Rousseau#28,701reappear#28,685

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

pretense12 variantspassively12 variantssolitaire12 variantsswimwear12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list