smattering

/ˈsmæ.təɹ.ɪŋ/

//ˈsmæ.təɹ.ɪŋ// noun

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

"smattering" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“smattering” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #46,183. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#46,183
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A shallow or superficial knowledge of a subject.

Corpus desk

Index EN-smattering · smattering · English

smattering · rank #46,183 · 14 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #46,183
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH snarl

Nearest frequency peer: snarl (+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 “smattering”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “smattering” 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).

smattering vs stuttering
80% similar
smattering vs sputtering
80% similar
smattering vs smothering
80% similar

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

Key facts for smattering
PropertyValue
Headwordsmattering
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsmæ.təɹ.ɪŋ/
Letters10
Frequency rank#46,183
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “smattering”

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).smatteringlands 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 “snarl” (#46,184), “slowness” (#46,181), “slippage” (#46,180). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “smattering” is #46,183. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around smattering (IPA /ˈsmæ.təɹ.ɪŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #46,183 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for smattering, with forms such as "msattering", "samttering", and "smatering". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "stuttering", "sputtering", "smothering", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From smatter + -ing. The correct English form is smattering, spelled S-M-A-T-T-E-R-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A shallow or superficial knowledge of a subject.
  2. 2
    A small amount or number of something.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She knows a smattering of Greek, but not enough to carry on a conversation.
  2. 1529, Thomas More, The Supplycacyon of Soulys [The Supplication of Souls], London: W. Rastell, Book 2, […] he had a lytell smatterynge in the lawe: […]

Etymology

From smatter + -ing.

This word in other languages

chapurreo(Español)rudiment(Français)Halbwissen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • msattering
  • samttering
  • smatering
  • smatetring
  • smatteirng
  • smatterign
  • smatteringg
  • smatterinng
  • smatternig
  • smatterring
  • smattreing
  • smmattering
  • smtatering
  • ssmattering

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

msattering2samttering2smatering1smatetring2smatteirng2smatterign2smatteringg1smatterinng1
Edit distance from "smattering"

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 "smattering"?
"smattering" is spelled S-M-A-T-T-E-R-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsmæ.təɹ.ɪŋ/.
What does "smattering" mean?
As a noun, "smattering" means: A shallow or superficial knowledge of a subject.
What words are commonly confused with "smattering"?
"smattering" is commonly confused with "stuttering", "sputtering", "smothering". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "smattering"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "smattering" is /ˈsmæ.təɹ.ɪŋ/. 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 "smattering"?
From smatter + -ing. 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 "smattering", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

shuddering#46,177stewardess#46,194storyboard#46,197scribbling#46,165

Similar misspelling depth

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

taskforce14 variantstimestamp14 variantsremittance14 variantstradesman14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list