snag

/ˈsnæɡ/

//ˈsnæɡ// noun

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

"snag" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“snag” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,501. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,501
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - A stump or base of a branch that has been lopped off; a short branch, or a sharp or rough branch.

Corpus desk

Index EN-snag · snag · English

snag · rank #20,501 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #20,501
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH smokey

Nearest frequency peer: smokey (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “snag”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “snag” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

snag vs spa
50% similar
snag vs SNP
0% similar
snag vs STA
0% similar

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

Key facts for snag
PropertyValue
Headwordsnag
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsnæɡ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#20,501
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “snag” 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). snag 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 5 spelling variants around snag (IPA /ˈsnæɡ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #20,501 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for snag, with forms such as "nsag", "snagg", and "snga". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "spa", "SNP", "STA", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From earlier snag (“stump or branch of a tree”), from Middle English *snagge, *snage, from Old Norse snagi (“clothes peg”) (compare Old Norse snag-hyrndr (“snag-horned, having jagged corners”)), perhaps ultimately from a derivative of Proto-Germanic *snakk-… The correct English form is snag, spelled S-N-A-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A stump or base of a branch that has been lopped off; a short branch, or a sharp or rough branch.
  2. 2
    A dead tree that remains standing.
  3. 3
    A tree, or a branch of a tree, fixed in the bottom of a river or other navigable water, and rising nearly or quite to the surface, by which boats are sometimes pierced and sunk.
  4. 4
    Any sharp protuberant part of an object, which may catch, scratch, or tear other objects brought into contact with it.
  5. 5
    A tooth projecting beyond the others; a broken or decayed tooth.
  6. 6
    A problem or difficulty with something.
  7. 7
    A pulled thread or yarn, as in cloth; a tear.
  8. 8
    One of the secondary branches of an antler.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The coat of arms / Now on a naked snag in triumph borne.
  2. ‘A’most used-up I am, I do declare!’ she observed. ‘The jolting in the cars is pretty nigh as bad as if the rail was full of snags and sawyers.’

Etymology

From earlier snag (“stump or branch of a tree”), from Middle English *snagge, *snage, from Old Norse snagi (“clothes peg”) (compare Old Norse snag-hyrndr (“snag-horned, having jagged corners”)), perhaps ultimately from a derivative of Proto-Germanic *snakk-, *snēgg, variations of *snakaną (“to crawl, creep, wind about”). Compare Norwegian snag, snage (“protrusion; projecting point”), Icelandic snagi (“peg”). Also see Dutch snoek (“pike”).

This word in other languages

siete(Español)aspérité(Français)Aststumpf(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nsag
  • snagg
  • snga
  • snnag
  • ssnag

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

nsag2snagg1snga2snnag1ssnag1
Edit distance from "snag"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "snag"?
"snag" is spelled S-N-A-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsnæɡ/.
What does "snag" mean?
As a noun, "snag" means: A stump or base of a branch that has been lopped off; a short branch, or a sharp or rough branch.
What words are commonly confused with "snag"?
"snag" is commonly confused with "spa", "SNP", "STA". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "snag"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "snag" is /ˈsnæɡ/. 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 "snag"?
From earlier snag (“stump or branch of a tree”), from Middle English *snagge, *snage, from Old Norse snagi (“clothes peg”) (compare Old Norse snag-hyrndr (“snag-horned, having jagged corners”)), perhaps ultimately from a derivative of Proto-German... 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 "snag", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

tote#20,518bane#20,563BIOS#20,568Mira#20,430

Similar misspelling depth

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

Loki5 variantshuts5 variantsElise5 variantsKahn5 variants
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