setter

/ˈsɛt.ə/

//ˈsɛt.ə// noun

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

The verdict

“setter” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,455. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,455
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A typesetter.

Corpus desk

Index EN-setter · setter · English

setter · rank #29,455 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #29,455
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH senile

Nearest frequency peer: senile (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “setter”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “setter” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

setter vs steer
67% similar
setter vs sewer
67% similar
setter vs sever
67% similar

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

Key facts for setter
PropertyValue
Headwordsetter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɛt.ə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#29,455
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “setter”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).setterlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “senile” (#29,454), “sheesh” (#29,456), “sedative” (#29,453). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “setter” is #29,455. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around setter (IPA /ˈsɛt.ə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #29,455 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for setter, with forms such as "setetr", "setterr", and "settre". 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, "steer", "sewer", "sever", 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 settere, equivalent to set + -er. Compare West Frisian setter, Dutch zetter, German Low German Setter, German Setzer. The hunting dogs are so named because when they scent the game, they set (that is, strike a certain stance). The correct English form is setter, spelled S-E-T-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A typesetter.
  2. 2
    One who sets something, such as a challenge or an examination.
  3. 3
    Any of several long-haired breeds of hunting dog that set when they have scented game.
  4. 4
    The player who is responsible for setting, or passing, the ball to teammates for an attack.
  5. 5
    A function used to modify the value of some property of an object, contrasted with the getter.
  6. 6
    A game or match that lasts a certain number of sets.
  7. 7
    One who hunts victims for sharpers.
  8. 8
    One who adapts words to music in composition.
  9. 9
    A shallow seggar for porcelain.
  10. 10
    A shill bidder at an auction.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Any query to the setter is required to be addressed as such (e.g., "Setter: Please check"); otherwise it will be treated as a query to the author.
  2. The exam was so hard we assumed the question setter must have been in a bad mood.

Etymology

From Middle English settere, equivalent to set + -er. Compare West Frisian setter, Dutch zetter, German Low German Setter, German Setzer. The hunting dogs are so named because when they scent the game, they set (that is, strike a certain stance).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • setetr
  • setterr
  • settre
  • ssetter
  • steter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

setetr2setterr1settre2ssetter1steter2
Edit distance from "setter"

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 "setter"?
"setter" is spelled S-E-T-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛt.ə/.
What does "setter" mean?
As a noun, "setter" means: A typesetter.
What words are commonly confused with "setter"?
"setter" is commonly confused with "steer", "sewer", "sever". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "setter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "setter" is /ˈsɛt.ə/. 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 "setter"?
From Middle English settere, equivalent to set + -er. Compare West Frisian setter, Dutch zetter, German Low German Setter, German Setzer. The hunting dogs are so named because when they scent the game, they set (that is, strike a certain stance). 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 "setter", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

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

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list