sneer

/snɪə̯/

//snɪə̯// verb

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

"sneer" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sneer” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #41,890. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#41,890
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To raise a corner of the upper lip slightly, especially in scorn.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sneer · sneer · English

sneer · rank #41,890 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #41,890
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH snapdragon

Nearest frequency peer: snapdragon (-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 “sneer”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “sneer” 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).

sneer vs Snr
40% similar
sneer vs SNES
0% similar
sneer vs super
60% similar

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

Key facts for sneer
PropertyValue
Headwordsneer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/snɪə̯/
Letters5
Frequency rank#41,890
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sneer”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).sneerlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “snapdragon” (#41,889), “sola” (#41,891), “slouch” (#41,888). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sneer” is #41,890. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around sneer (IPA /snɪə̯/), averb. Corpus frequency is #41,890 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for sneer, with forms such as "nseer", "sener", and "sneerr". 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, "Snr", "SNES", "super", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English sneren (“to mock, scoff at”), from Old English fnǣran (“to snort”), from Proto-West Germanic *fnāʀijan, from Proto-Germanic *fnesaną (“to pant, gasp”). Akin to North Frisian sneere (“to scorn”), Middle High German snerren (“to chatter; g… The correct English form is sneer, spelled S-N-E-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To raise a corner of the upper lip slightly, especially in scorn.
  2. 2
    To utter with a grimace or contemptuous expression; to say sneeringly.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. So General Oakfield's friends taunted him with having been beaten, and Blackeston's friends sneered at him for not having called the general out. Blackeston, a studious and sensitive man, felt the taunts of his friends as only a student can.
  2. to sneer fulsome lies at a person

Etymology

From Middle English sneren (“to mock, scoff at”), from Old English fnǣran (“to snort”), from Proto-West Germanic *fnāʀijan, from Proto-Germanic *fnesaną (“to pant, gasp”). Akin to North Frisian sneere (“to scorn”), Middle High German snerren (“to chatter; gossip”), Danish snerre (“to growl, snarl”).

Synonyms

girdjeerjibelaugh atscoffscornsneer

Antonyms

cheerlaugh with

This word in other languages

ricaner(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nseer
  • sener
  • sneerr
  • sner
  • snere
  • snneer
  • ssneer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

nseer2sener2sneerr1sner1snere2snneer1ssneer1
Edit distance from "sneer"

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 "sneer"?
"sneer" is spelled S-N-E-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /snɪə̯/.
What does "sneer" mean?
As a verb, "sneer" means: To raise a corner of the upper lip slightly, especially in scorn.
What words are commonly confused with "sneer"?
"sneer" is commonly confused with "Snr", "SNES", "super". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sneer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sneer" is /snɪə̯/. 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 "sneer"?
From Middle English sneren (“to mock, scoff at”), from Old English fnǣran (“to snort”), from Proto-West Germanic *fnāʀijan, from Proto-Germanic *fnesaną (“to pant, gasp”). Akin to North Frisian sneere (“to scorn”), Middle High German snerren (“to ... 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 "sneer", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

skeet#41,886splat#41,898Shari#41,878saggy#41,866

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Rolfe7 variantsRogen7 variantsUsman7 variantsusurp7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list