shooter

/ˈʃuːtə(ɹ)/

//ˈʃuːtə(ɹ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“shooter” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,619 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,619
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Someone who shoots something; a gunner, archer, etc.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

shooter vs shower
71% similar
shooter vs sooner
71% similar
shooter vs shoots
71% similar

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

Key facts for shooter
PropertyValue
Headwordshooter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʃuːtə(ɹ)/
Letters7
Frequency rank#6,619
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “shooter” 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). shooter 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 shooter is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈʃuːtə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,619 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 14 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for shooter, with forms such as "hsooter", "shhooter", and "shooetr". 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, "shower", "sooner", "shoots", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English schoter, schuter, schotter, scheter, schetare, scheotere, from Old English sċēotere (“shooter”), equivalent to shoot + -er. Compare Dutch schieter, schutter (“shooter”), German Schießer (“shooter”), Swedish skjutare, West Frisian sjitter… The correct English form is shooter, spelled S-H-O-O-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who shoots something; a gunner, archer, etc.
  2. 2
    The player throwing the dice.
  3. 3
    A device for shooting.
  4. 4
    A firearm.
  5. 5
    An associate willing to act in one's defence or to act against one's enemies, especially by force.
  6. 6
    A loyal advocate or fan.
  7. 7
    A video game in which shooting enemies (or targets) is the main objective.
  8. 8
    A professional wrestler who uses actual fighting moves as part of his style, or who speaks his mind during a live or televised event (instead of speaking from a script).
  9. 9
    A large marble used for knocking smaller marbles out of a chalk circle.
  10. 10
    An alcoholic beverage typically served in a shot glass.
  11. 11
    A shooting star.
  12. 12
    A device supposed to accumulate orgone.
  13. 13
    A delivery that skids after pitching, instead of bouncing.
  14. 14
    A photographer or cameraman.

Etymology

From Middle English schoter, schuter, schotter, scheter, schetare, scheotere, from Old English sċēotere (“shooter”), equivalent to shoot + -er. Compare Dutch schieter, schutter (“shooter”), German Schießer (“shooter”), Swedish skjutare, West Frisian sjitter (“shooter”).

Synonyms

marksmanblastershoot-'em-up

This word in other languages

tirador(Español)tireur(Français)Schütze(Deutsch)atirador(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hsooter,shhooter,shooetr,shooterr,shootre,shootter,shoter,shotoer,sohoter,sshooter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hsooter2shhooter1shooetr2shooterr1shootre2shootter1shoter1shotoer2
Edit distance from "shooter"

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 "shooter"?
"shooter" is spelled S-H-O-O-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʃuːtə(ɹ)/.
What does "shooter" mean?
As a noun, "shooter" means: Someone who shoots something; a gunner, archer, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "shooter"?
"shooter" is commonly confused with "shower", "sooner", "shoots". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "shooter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "shooter" is /ˈʃuːtə(ɹ)/. 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 "shooter"?
From Middle English schoter, schuter, schotter, scheter, schetare, scheotere, from Old English sċēotere (“shooter”), equivalent to shoot + -er. Compare Dutch schieter, schutter (“shooter”), German Schießer (“shooter”), Swedish skjutare, West Frisi... 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 “shooter”

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

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