scatter

/ˈskætə/

//ˈskætə// verb

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

"scatter" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“scatter” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,477. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,477
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To (cause to) separate and go in different directions; to disperse.

Corpus desk

Index EN-scatter · scatter · English

scatter · rank #17,477 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,477
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH satin

Nearest frequency peer: satin (-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 “scatter”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “scatter” 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 September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

scatter vs slater
71% similar
scatter vs skater
71% similar
scatter vs sitter
71% similar

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

Key facts for scatter
PropertyValue
Headwordscatter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈskætə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#17,477
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “scatter” sits in English frequency

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).scatterlands 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 “satin” (#17,476), “scramble” (#17,478), “Samson” (#17,475). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around scatter (IPA /ˈskætə/), averb. Corpus frequency is #17,477 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for scatter, with forms such as "csatter", "sactter", and "scater". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "slater", "skater", "sitter", 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 scateren, skateren, also schateren, * probably a variant of shatter, which is imitative; * or from Old English *sceaterian, probably from a dialect of Old Norse, possibly ultimately related to Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to cut, split, … The correct English form is scatter, spelled S-C-A-T-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To (cause to) separate and go in different directions; to disperse.
  2. 2
    To distribute loosely as by sprinkling.
  3. 3
    To deflect (radiation or particles).
  4. 4
    To occur or fall at widely spaced intervals.
  5. 5
    To frustrate, disappoint, and overthrow.
  6. 6
    To be dispersed upon.
  7. 7
    Of a pitcher: to keep down the number of hits or walks.
  8. 8
    To leave.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The crowd scattered in terror.
  2. Scatter and disperse the giddy Goths.

Etymology

From Middle English scateren, skateren, also schateren, * probably a variant of shatter, which is imitative; * or from Old English *sceaterian, probably from a dialect of Old Norse, possibly ultimately related to Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to cut, split, shatter”). Compare Middle Dutch scheteren (“to scatter”), Low German schateren, Dutch schateren (“to burst out laughing”); and is apparently remotely akin to Ancient Greek σκεδάννυμι (skedánnumi, “scatter, disperse”). and Tocharian B kät- (“to scatter, sow seeds”). Doublet of shatter.

This word in other languages

esparcir(Español)se disperser(Français)zerstreuen(Deutsch)espalhar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • csatter
  • sactter
  • scater
  • scatetr
  • scatterr
  • scattre
  • sccatter
  • sctater
  • sscatter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

csatter2sactter2scater1scatetr2scatterr1scattre2sccatter1sctater2
Edit distance from "scatter"

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 "scatter"?
"scatter" is spelled S-C-A-T-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskætə/.
What does "scatter" mean?
As a verb, "scatter" means: To (cause to) separate and go in different directions; to disperse.
What words are commonly confused with "scatter"?
"scatter" is commonly confused with "slater", "skater", "sitter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "scatter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "scatter" is /ˈskætə/. 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 "scatter"?
From Middle English scateren, skateren, also schateren, * probably a variant of shatter, which is imitative; * or from Old English *sceaterian, probably from a dialect of Old Norse, possibly ultimately related to Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to cu... 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 "scatter", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

rumored#17,471Rockies#17,464reprint#17,459reddish#17,455

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Samson9 variantssharif9 variantsrowing9 variantsroulette9 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "scatter". Here's where to go from here.

  • "scatter" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "slater". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #17,477 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "S" letter cohort. S–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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