senior

/ˈsinjɚ/

//ˈsinjɚ// adj

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

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

The verdict

“senior” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,285 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,285
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Older.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

senior vs señor
67% similar
senior vs sensor
83% similar
senior vs sexier
67% similar

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

Key facts for senior
PropertyValue
Headwordsenior
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsinjɚ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,285
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “senior” 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). senior 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 senior is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsinjɚ/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,285 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for senior, with forms such as "esnior", "seinor", and "seniorr". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "señor", "sensor", "sexier", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English senior, from Latin senior (“older”), comparative form of senex (“old”); see senate. Doublet of seigneur, seignior, senhor, señor, senyor, signore, sir, and sire. The correct English form is senior, spelled S-E-N-I-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Older.
  2. 2
    Higher in rank, dignity, or office; superior.
  3. 3
    Of or pertaining to a student's final academic year at a high school (twelfth grade) or university.
  4. 4
    Of or pertaining to a league or competition limited to players above a certain age or level of experience.

Etymology

From Middle English senior, from Latin senior (“older”), comparative form of senex (“old”); see senate. Doublet of seigneur, seignior, senhor, señor, senyor, signore, sir, and sire.

Synonyms

geriatriclong in the toothon in yearselderlymastersveteran

Antonyms

junior

This word in other languages

anciano(Español)aîné(Français)älter(Deutsch)sénior(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: esnior,seinor,seniorr,seniro,sennior,senoir,sneior,ssenior

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

esnior2seinor2seniorr1seniro2sennior1senoir2sneior2ssenior1
Edit distance from "senior"

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 "senior"?
"senior" is spelled S-E-N-I-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsinjɚ/.
What does "senior" mean?
As an adjective, "senior" means: Older.
What words are commonly confused with "senior"?
"senior" is commonly confused with "señor", "sensor", "sexier". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "senior"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "senior" is /ˈsinjɚ/. 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 "senior"?
From Middle English senior, from Latin senior (“older”), comparative form of senex (“old”); see senate. Doublet of seigneur, seignior, senhor, señor, senyor, signore, sir, and sire. 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 “senior”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-E-N-I-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsinjɚ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “señor” - see the side-by-side comparison. senior vs señor
  • 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