shutter

/ˈʃʌt.ə/

//ˈʃʌt.ə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“shutter” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,507. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,507
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who shuts or closes something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-shutter · shutter · English

shutter · rank #15,507 · 9 variants · 16 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,507
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 16 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sheltered

Nearest frequency peer: sheltered (-2 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 “shutter”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “shutter” 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).

shutter vs sitter
71% similar
shutter vs Sutter
71% similar
shutter vs Sumter
57% similar

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

Key facts for shutter
PropertyValue
Headwordshutter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʃʌt.ə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#15,507
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “shutter”

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).shutterlands 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 “sheltered” (#15,505), “snatched” (#15,509), “sheds” (#15,504). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “shutter” is #15,507. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around shutter (IPA /ˈʃʌt.ə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,507 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for shutter, with forms such as "hsutter", "shhutter", and "shtuter". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "sitter", "Sutter", "Sumter", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From shut + -er. Compare shuttle. The correct English form is shutter, spelled S-H-U-T-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who shuts or closes something.
  2. 2
    Protective panels, usually wooden, placed over windows to block out the light.
  3. 3
    The part of a camera, normally closed, that opens for a controlled period of time to let light in when taking a picture.
  4. 4
    Any other opening and closing device.
  5. 5
    A panel used to contain freshly poured concrete, which is usually removed when the concrete hardens.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. the openers and shutters of the sluices we believe are basic to the history of mind
  2. The volunteers consisted of a ringmaster, two experienced young cattlemen to grade the cattle, gate-openers and shutters[…]

Etymology

From shut + -er. Compare shuttle.

This word in other languages

postigo(Español)volet(Français)Verschließender(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hsutter
  • shhutter
  • shtuter
  • shuter
  • shutetr
  • shutterr
  • shuttre
  • sshutter
  • suhtter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hsutter2shhutter1shtuter2shuter1shutetr2shutterr1shuttre2sshutter1
Edit distance from "shutter"

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 "shutter"?
"shutter" is spelled S-H-U-T-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʃʌt.ə/.
What does "shutter" mean?
As a noun, "shutter" means: One who shuts or closes something.
What words are commonly confused with "shutter"?
"shutter" is commonly confused with "sitter", "Sutter", "Sumter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "shutter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "shutter" is /ˈʃʌt.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 "shutter"?
From shut + -er. Compare shuttle. 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 "shutter", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

sealing#15,502sparrow#15,512Schultz#15,500spinach#15,514

Similar misspelling depth

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

Sharma9 variantsstoned9 variantstequila9 variantspsych9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list