skitter

/ˈskɪtə(ɹ)/

//ˈskɪtə(ɹ)// verb

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

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

The verdict

“skitter” is uncommon English (frequency #92,084 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#92,084
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To move hurriedly or as by bouncing or twitching; to scamper, to scurry; to scuttle.

Corpus desk

Index EN-skitter · skitter · English

skitter · rank #92,084 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #92,084
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH snowbound

Nearest frequency peer: snowbound (+3 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.

Long-tail ranks near “skitter”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “skitter” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for skitter
PropertyValue
Headwordskitter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈskɪtə(ɹ)/
Letters7
Frequency rank#92,084
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “skitter” in English

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).skitterfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “snowbound” (#92,087), “snuffing” (#92,088), “silvan” (#92,079). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “skitter” is #92,084. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

skitter is uncommon English at frequency #92,084 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈskɪtə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for skitter, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Possibly a frequentative of skite (“to move lightly and hurriedly; to move suddenly, particularly in an oblique direction”) (Scotland, Northern England). The noun is derived from the verb. The correct English form is skitter, spelled S-K-I-T-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To move hurriedly or as by bouncing or twitching; to scamper, to scurry; to scuttle.
  2. 2
    To make a scratching or scuttling noise while, or as if, skittering.
  3. 3
    To move or pass (something) over a surface quickly so that it touches only at intervals; to skip, to skite.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I opened the cabinet and a number of cockroaches went skittering off into the darkness.
  2. Some kinds of ducks in lighting strike the water with their tails first, and skitter along the surface for a few feet before settling down.

Etymology

Possibly a frequentative of skite (“to move lightly and hurriedly; to move suddenly, particularly in an oblique direction”) (Scotland, Northern England). The noun is derived from the verb.

Synonyms

scamperscurryskipskite

This word in other languages

apresurar(Español)s'enfuir(Français)huschen(Deutsch)

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 "skitter"?
"skitter" is spelled S-K-I-T-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskɪtə(ɹ)/.
What does "skitter" mean?
As a verb, "skitter" means: To move hurriedly or as by bouncing or twitching; to scamper, to scurry; to scuttle.
How do you pronounce "skitter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "skitter" is /ˈskɪtə(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 "skitter"?
Possibly a frequentative of skite (“to move lightly and hurriedly; to move suddenly, particularly in an oblique direction”) (Scotland, Northern England). The noun is derived from the verb. 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 "skitter", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Sapphic#92,038sangeet#92,037sandpit#92,036Salmons#92,031

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list