sixteenth

/ˌsɪksˈtiːnθ/

//ˌsɪksˈtiːnθ// adj

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

"sixteenth" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sixteenth” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,720. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,720
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The ordinal form of the number sixteen.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sixteenth · sixteenth · English

sixteenth · rank #17,720 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #17,720
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sighs

Nearest frequency peer: sighs (-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 “sixteenth”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “sixteenth” 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).

sixteenth vs sixteen
78% similar

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

Key facts for sixteenth
PropertyValue
Headwordsixteenth
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌsɪksˈtiːnθ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#17,720
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sixteenth”

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).sixteenthlands 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 “sighs” (#17,719), “slime” (#17,721), “shorten” (#17,718). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sixteenth” is #17,720. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around sixteenth (IPA /ˌsɪksˈtiːnθ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #17,720 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Dominant gloss: "The ordinal form of the number sixteen.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for sixteenth, with forms such as "isxteenth", "sitxeenth", and "sixetenth". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "sixteen", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English sixtenthe, sixtethe, from Old English sixtēoþa, equivalent to sixteen + -th. The correct English form is sixteenth, spelled S-I-X-T-E-E-N-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    The ordinal form of the number sixteen.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. […] a pair of pauldrons with the light horizontal bar which in later years developed into the high neckguard of the sixteenth century; numbers of gauntlets, visors of helmets, and other pieces, the handling of which is a sheer joy […]

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English sixtenthe, sixtethe, from Old English sixtēoþa, equivalent to sixteen + -th.

This word in other languages

decimosexto(Español)seizième(Français)sechzehnte(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • isxteenth
  • sitxeenth
  • sixetenth
  • sixteenht
  • sixteennth
  • sixteenthh
  • sixteentth
  • sixteetnh
  • sixteneth
  • sixtenth
  • sixtteenth
  • sixxteenth
  • ssixteenth
  • sxiteenth

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

isxteenth2sitxeenth2sixetenth2sixteenht2sixteennth1sixteenthh1sixteentth1sixteetnh2
Edit distance from "sixteenth"

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 "sixteenth"?
"sixteenth" is spelled S-I-X-T-E-E-N-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌsɪksˈtiːnθ/.
What does "sixteenth" mean?
As an adjective, "sixteenth" means: The ordinal form of the number sixteen.
What words are commonly confused with "sixteenth"?
"sixteenth" is commonly confused with "sixteen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sixteenth"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sixteenth" is /ˌsɪksˈtiːnθ/. 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 "sixteenth"?
Inherited from Middle English sixtenthe, sixtethe, from Old English sixtēoþa, equivalent to sixteen + -th. 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 "sixteenth", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

surrogate#17,729recalling#17,700orphanage#17,687obnoxious#17,685

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

antitrust14 variantsbracelets14 variantsleftovers14 variantsinscribed14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list