skeleton

/ˈskɛlɪtn/

//ˈskɛlɪtn// noun

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

"skeleton" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“skeleton” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,671. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,671
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The system that provides support to an organism, internal and made up of bones and cartilage in vertebrates, external in some other animals.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

skeleton vs Skelton
75% similar
skeleton vs Shelton
63% similar
skeleton vs skeletal
75% similar

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

Key facts for skeleton
PropertyValue
Headwordskeleton
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈskɛlɪtn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#9,671
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “skeleton” 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). skeleton lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around skeleton (IPA /ˈskɛlɪtn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #9,671 among 54,294 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for skeleton, with forms such as "kseleton", "sekleton", and "skeelton". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "Skelton", "Shelton", "skeletal", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From New Latin sceleton, from Ancient Greek σκελετόν (skeletón), the neuter of σκελετός (skeletós, “dried up, withered, dried body, parched, mummy”), from σκέλλω (skéllō, “dry, dry up, make dry, parch”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelh₁- (“to parch, withe… The correct English form is skeleton, spelled S-K-E-L-E-T-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The system that provides support to an organism, internal and made up of bones and cartilage in vertebrates, external in some other animals.
  2. 2
    An anthropomorphic representation of a skeleton.
  3. 3
    A very thin person.
  4. 4
    The central core of something that gives shape to the entire structure.
  5. 5
    A frame that provides support to a building or other construction.
  6. 6
    A client-helper procedure that communicates with a stub.
  7. 7
    The vertices and edges of a polyhedron, taken collectively.
  8. 8
    A very thin form of light-faced type.
  9. 9
    A minimum or bare essentials.
  10. 10
    The network of veins in a leaf.
  11. 11
    Clipping of skeleton in the closet (“a shameful secret”).

Etymology

From New Latin sceleton, from Ancient Greek σκελετόν (skeletón), the neuter of σκελετός (skeletós, “dried up, withered, dried body, parched, mummy”), from σκέλλω (skéllō, “dry, dry up, make dry, parch”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelh₁- (“to parch, wither”); compare Ancient Greek σκληρός (sklērós, “hard”).

Synonyms

ottomyskellingtonthin personbackboneskeleton

This word in other languages

esqueleto(Español)squelette(Français)Skelett(Deutsch)esqueleto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • kseleton
  • sekleton
  • skeelton
  • skeleotn
  • skeletno
  • skeletonn
  • skeletton
  • skelleton
  • skelteon
  • skkeleton
  • skleeton
  • sskeleton

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

kseleton2sekleton2skeelton2skeleotn2skeletno2skeletonn1skeletton1skelleton1
Edit distance from "skeleton"

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 "skeleton"?
"skeleton" is spelled S-K-E-L-E-T-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskɛlɪtn/.
What does "skeleton" mean?
As a noun, "skeleton" means: The system that provides support to an organism, internal and made up of bones and cartilage in vertebrates, external in some other animals.
What words are commonly confused with "skeleton"?
"skeleton" is commonly confused with "Skelton", "Shelton", "skeletal". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "skeleton"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "skeleton" is /ˈskɛlɪtn/. 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 "skeleton"?
From New Latin sceleton, from Ancient Greek σκελετόν (skeletón), the neuter of σκελετός (skeletós, “dried up, withered, dried body, parched, mummy”), from σκέλλω (skéllō, “dry, dry up, make dry, parch”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kelh₁- (“to pa... 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 “skeleton”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-K-E-L-E-T-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈskɛlɪtn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Skelton” - see the side-by-side comparison. skeleton vs Skelton
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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