# scanner

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈskænɚ/ · frequency rank #13,805

## Definitions
1. One who scans.
2. A device which scans documents in order to convert them to a digital medium.
3. A device which scans barcodes or QR codes for the purpose of charging a customer, performing a price check or enquiry, printing a price label or sticker, checking an item in or out of the store or warehouse, or finding an item ordered through click and collect and its corresponding location; a pricing gun or HHT.
4. A radio receiver which iterates through a sequence of frequencies to detect signal.
5. A device which uses radiation (ultrasound, X-ray, etc.) to generate images of tissue or surfaces for diagnostic purposes.
6. A device which uses optics to detect printed data (such as a barcode).

## Etymology
From scan + -er.

## Easily confused with
- **sinner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scanner-vs-sinner)
- **skinner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scanner-vs-skinner)
- **scatter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scanner-vs-scatter)
- **spinner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scanner-vs-spinner)
- **slander** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scanner-vs-slander)
- **stunner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scanner-vs-stunner)
- **Shatner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scanner-vs-shatner)
- **spanner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scanner-vs-spanner)
- **sander** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sander-vs-scanner)
- **sanger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sanger-vs-scanner)
- **scammer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/scammer-vs-scanner)

## Common misspellings (9)
`csanner`, `sacnner`, `scanenr`, `scaner`, `scannerr`, `scannre`, `sccanner`, `scnaner`, `sscanner`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/scanner