salamander

/ˈsæləˌmændə/

//ˈsæləˌmændə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“salamander” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,072. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,072
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A long, slender, chiefly terrestrial amphibian of the order Caudata, superficially resembling a lizard.

Corpus desk

Index EN-salamander · salamander · English

salamander · rank #39,072 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,072
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH santorum

Nearest frequency peer: santorum (+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 “salamander”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “salamander” 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 salamander
PropertyValue
Headwordsalamander
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsæləˌmændə/
Letters10
Frequency rank#39,072
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “salamander”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “santorum” (#39,073), “Rumsfeld” (#39,070), “ruck” (#39,069). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “salamander” is #39,072. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around salamander (IPA /ˈsæləˌmændə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #39,072 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for salamander, with forms such as "aslamander", "saalmander", and "salaamnder". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English salamandre, from Anglo-Norman salamandre, from Latin salamandra, from Ancient Greek σαλαμάνδρα (salamándra), of uncertain origin (per Beekes, likely Pre-Greek); possibly of Iranian origin, see Persian سمندر (samandar) for more information. The correct English form is salamander, spelled S-A-L-A-M-A-N-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A long, slender, chiefly terrestrial amphibian of the order Caudata, superficially resembling a lizard.
  2. 2
    A creature much like a lizard that is resistant to and lives in fire (in which it is often depicted in heraldry), hence the elemental being of fire.
  3. 3
    A metal utensil with a flat head which is heated and put over a dish to brown the top.
  4. 4
    A small broiler (North America) or grill (Britain) that heats the food from above, used in professional cookery primarily for browning.
  5. 5
    A pouched gopher (Geomys pinetis etc.)
  6. 6
    A large poker.
  7. 7
    Solidified material in a furnace hearth.
  8. 8
    A portable stove used to heat or dry buildings under construction.
  9. 9
    A fire-eater (performer who pretends to swallow fire).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […]and most plainly Pierius, whose words in his hieroglyphicks are these: "Whereas it is commonly said that a salamander extinguisheth fire, we have found by experience that it is so far from quenching hot coals, that it dyeth immediately therein."
  2. Devils Lake is where I began my career as a limnologist in 1964, studying the lake’s neotenic salamanders and chironomids, or midge flies.[…]The Devils Lake Basin is an endorheic, or closed, basin covering about 9,800 square kilometers in northeastern North Dakota.

Etymology

From Middle English salamandre, from Anglo-Norman salamandre, from Latin salamandra, from Ancient Greek σαλαμάνδρα (salamándra), of uncertain origin (per Beekes, likely Pre-Greek); possibly of Iranian origin, see Persian سمندر (samandar) for more information.

This word in other languages

salamandra(Español)salamandre(Français)Salamander(Deutsch)salamandra(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aslamander
  • saalmander
  • salaamnder
  • salamadner
  • salamandder
  • salamanderr
  • salamandre
  • salamanedr
  • salamannder
  • salammander
  • salamnader
  • sallamander
  • salmaander
  • slaamander
  • ssalamander

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of salamander - 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.

aslamander2saalmander2salaamnder2salamadner2salamandder1salamanderr1salamandre2salamanedr2
Edit distance from "salamander"

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 "salamander"?
"salamander" is spelled S-A-L-A-M-A-N-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsæləˌmændə/.
What does "salamander" mean?
As a noun, "salamander" means: A long, slender, chiefly terrestrial amphibian of the order Caudata, superficially resembling a lizard.
What are common misspellings of "salamander"?
Common misspellings include "aslamander", "saalmander", "salaamnder", "salamadner", "salamandder". The correct spelling is "salamander".
How do you pronounce "salamander"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "salamander" is /ˈsæləˌmændə/. 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 "salamander"?
From Middle English salamandre, from Anglo-Norman salamandre, from Latin salamandra, from Ancient Greek σαλαμάνδρα (salamándra), of uncertain origin (per Beekes, likely Pre-Greek); possibly of Iranian origin, see Persian سمندر (samandar) for more ... 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 "salamander", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

riverfront#39,065scrutinize#39,079singularly#39,090plebiscite#39,031

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

rearranging15 variantssphincter15 variantspersonhood15 variantstransitive15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list