sample

/ˈsɑːm.pəl/

//ˈsɑːm.pəl// noun

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

"sample" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sample” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,859 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,859
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A part or snippet of something taken or presented for inspection, or shown as evidence of the quality of the whole; a specimen.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

sample vs smile
67% similar
sample vs simple
83% similar
sample vs simply
67% similar

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

Key facts for sample
PropertyValue
Headwordsample
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɑːm.pəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,859
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sample” 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). sample 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 sample is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɑːm.pəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,859 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for sample, with forms such as "asmple", "samlpe", and "sammple". 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. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "smile", "simple", "simply", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English saumple, sample, from Old French essample (“example”), from Latin exemplum. Doublet of example and exemplum. The correct English form is sample, spelled S-A-M-P-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A part or snippet of something taken or presented for inspection, or shown as evidence of the quality of the whole; a specimen.
  2. 2
    A subset or portion of a population that is systematically selected for measurement, observation, or questioning, with the objective of generating statistical information that accurately reflects the characteristics of the entire population.
  3. 3
    A small quantity of food for tasting, typically given away for free.
  4. 4
    A small piece of some goods, for determining quality, colour, etc., typically given away for free.
  5. 5
    A borrowing of easily recognised phases (or moments) from other music (or movies) in a recording.
  6. 6
    Example; pattern.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English saumple, sample, from Old French essample (“example”), from Latin exemplum. Doublet of example and exemplum.

Synonyms

examplespecimen

This word in other languages

muestra(Español)échantillon(Français)Probe(Deutsch)amostra(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: asmple,samlpe,sammple,sampel,samplle,sampple,sapmle,smaple,ssample

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

asmple2samlpe2sammple1sampel2samplle1sampple1sapmle2smaple2
Edit distance from "sample"

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 "sample"?
"sample" is spelled S-A-M-P-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɑːm.pəl/.
What does "sample" mean?
As a noun, "sample" means: A part or snippet of something taken or presented for inspection, or shown as evidence of the quality of the whole; a specimen.
What words are commonly confused with "sample"?
"sample" is commonly confused with "smile", "simple", "simply". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sample"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sample" is /ˈsɑːm.pəl/. 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 "sample"?
Inherited from Middle English saumple, sample, from Old French essample (“example”), from Latin exemplum. Doublet of example and exemplum. 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 “sample”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-A-M-P-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsɑːm.pəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “smile” - see the side-by-side comparison. sample vs smile
  • 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