scale

/skeɪl/

//skeɪl// noun

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

"scale" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“scale” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,575. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,575
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A ladder; a series of steps; a means of ascending.

Corpus desk

Index EN-scale · scale · English

scale · rank #1,575 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,575
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 54,294
  • PHOTO-FINISH remain

Nearest frequency peer: remain (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “scale”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “scale” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

scale vs SLE
0% similar
scale vs seal
60% similar
scale vs sole
60% similar

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

Key facts for scale
PropertyValue
Headwordscale
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/skeɪl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,575
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “scale” 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). scale lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around scale (IPA /skeɪl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #1,575 among 54,294 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for scale, with forms such as "csale", "sacle", and "scael". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "SLE", "seal", "sole", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English scale, from Latin scāla, usually in plural scālae (“a flight of steps, stairs, staircase, ladder”), for *skand-slā, from scandō (“to climb”); see scan, ascend, descend, etc. Doublet of scala. The correct English form is scale, spelled S-C-A-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A ladder; a series of steps; a means of ascending.
  2. 2
    An ordered, usually numerical sequence used for measurement; means of assigning a magnitude.
  3. 3
    Size; scope.
  4. 4
    The ratio of depicted distance to actual distance.
  5. 5
    A line or bar associated with a drawing, used to indicate measurement when the image has been magnified or reduced.
  6. 6
    A series of notes spanning an octave, tritave, or pseudo-octave, used to make melodies.
  7. 7
    A mathematical base for a numeral system; radix.
  8. 8
    Gradation; succession of ascending and descending steps and degrees; progressive series; scheme of comparative rank or order.
  9. 9
    A standard amount of money to be paid for a service, for example union-negotiated amounts received by a performer or writer; similar to wage scale or pay grade.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Please rate your experience on a scale from 1 to 10.
  2. The magnitude of an earthquake is measured on the open-ended Richter scale.

Etymology

From Middle English scale, from Latin scāla, usually in plural scālae (“a flight of steps, stairs, staircase, ladder”), for *skand-slā, from scandō (“to climb”); see scan, ascend, descend, etc. Doublet of scala.

This word in other languages

escala(Español)échelle(Français)Skala(Deutsch)escala(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • csale
  • sacle
  • scael
  • scalle
  • sccale
  • sclae
  • sscale

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of scale - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

csale2sacle2scael2scalle1sccale1sclae2sscale1
Edit distance from "scale"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "scale"?
"scale" is spelled S-C-A-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /skeɪl/.
What does "scale" mean?
As a noun, "scale" means: A ladder; a series of steps; a means of ascending.
What words are commonly confused with "scale"?
"scale" is commonly confused with "SLE", "seal", "sole". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "scale"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scale" is /skeɪl/. 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 "scale"?
From Middle English scale, from Latin scāla, usually in plural scālae (“a flight of steps, stairs, staircase, ladder”), for *skand-slā, from scandō (“to climb”); see scan, ascend, descend, etc. Doublet of scala. 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 "scale", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

score#1,576smart#1,578owner#1,570mouth#1,569

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

missed7 variantsviews7 variantscount7 variantsfaith7 variants
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