signal

/ˈsɪɡnəl/

//ˈsɪɡnəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“signal” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,406. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,406
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A sequence of states representing an encoded message in a communication channel.

Corpus desk

Index EN-signal · signal · English

signal · rank #2,406 · 9 variants · 15 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,406
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 15 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH serving

Nearest frequency peer: serving (-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 “signal”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “signal” 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).

signal vs Sina
50% similar
signal vs signs
67% similar
signal vs Sinai
50% similar

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

Key facts for signal
PropertyValue
Headwordsignal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪɡnəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,406
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “signal”

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).signallands 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 “serving” (#2,405), “stream” (#2,407), “selection” (#2,404). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “signal” is #2,406. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around signal (IPA /ˈsɪɡnəl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,406 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for signal, with forms such as "isgnal", "sginal", and "siganl". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "Sina", "signs", "Sinai", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French segnal, seignal or Medieval Latin signāle; noun use of the neuter of Late Latin signālis, from Latin signum; verb use from 1805, as a shortened from signalize (1650s). The correct English form is signal, spelled S-I-G-N-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sequence of states representing an encoded message in a communication channel.
  2. 2
    Any variation of a quantity or change in an entity over time that conveys information upon detection.
  3. 3
    A sign made to give notice of some occurrence, command, or danger, or to indicate the start of a concerted action.
  4. 4
    An on-off light, semaphore, or other device used to give an indication to another person.
  5. 5
    An on-off light, semaphore, or other device used to give an indication to another person.
  6. 6
    An electromagnetic action, normally a voltage that is a function of time, that conveys the information of the radio or TV program or of communication with another party.
  7. 7
    An action, change or process done to convey information and thus reduce uncertainty.
  8. 8
    A token; an indication; a foreshadowing; a sign.
  9. 9
    Useful information, as opposed to noise.
  10. 10
    A simple interprocess communication used to notify a process or thread of an occurrence.
  11. 11
    A signalling interaction between cells

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. All obeyed / The wonted signal and superior voice / Of this great potentate.
  2. Banner-Repeater signals tend to be provided in locations where drivers receive insufficient warning of the main signal, thereby effectively increasing the sighting distance for the main signal.

Etymology

From Old French segnal, seignal or Medieval Latin signāle; noun use of the neuter of Late Latin signālis, from Latin signum; verb use from 1805, as a shortened from signalize (1650s).

Antonyms

noise

This word in other languages

señal(Español)signal(Français)Signal(Deutsch)rede(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • isgnal
  • sginal
  • siganl
  • siggnal
  • signall
  • signla
  • signnal
  • singal
  • ssignal

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of signal - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

isgnal2sginal2siganl2siggnal1signall1signla2signnal1singal2
Edit distance from "signal"

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 "signal"?
"signal" is spelled S-I-G-N-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪɡnəl/.
What does "signal" mean?
As a noun, "signal" means: A sequence of states representing an encoded message in a communication channel.
What words are commonly confused with "signal"?
"signal" is commonly confused with "Sina", "signs", "Sinai". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "signal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "signal" is /ˈsɪɡnəl/. 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 "signal"?
From Old French segnal, seignal or Medieval Latin signāle; noun use of the neuter of Late Latin signālis, from Latin signum; verb use from 1805, as a shortened from signalize (1650s). 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 "signal", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

stream#2,407talked#2,410orange#2,400voting#2,421

Similar misspelling depth

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

suicide9 variantsopposite9 variantscrisis9 variantschosen9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list