# sputnik

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈspʊtnɪk/ · frequency rank #38,631

## Definitions
1. Any of a series of Soviet robotic space satellites, especially the first one in 1957.
2. Any artificial satellite.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *sem-
Proto-Indo-European *sm̥-
Proto-Balto-Slavic *san?
Proto-Indo-European *ḱe
Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm?
Proto-Slavic *sъ(n)
Russian с- (s-)
Proto-Indo-European *pent-
Proto-Indo-European *póntoh₁s
Proto-Balto-Slavic *pántis
Proto-Slavic *pǫtь
Proto-Indo-European *-nós
Proto-Balto-Slavic *-inas
Proto-Slavic *-ьnъ
Proto-Indo-European *-eykos
Proto-Balto-Slavic *-eikas
Proto-Slavic *-ikъ
Proto-Slavic *-ьnikъ
Proto-Slavic *pǫtьnikъ
Russian пу́тник (pútnik)
Russian спу́тник (spútnik)bor.
English sputnik
From Russian спу́тник (spútnik, “satellite”, literally “fellow traveller”), from с- (s-, “with, together”) + пу́тник (pútnik, “traveller”), from путь (putʹ, “way, journey”) + agent suffix -ник (-nik).

## Easily confused with
- **spunk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spunk-vs-sputnik)

## Common misspellings (11)
`psutnik`, `spputnik`, `sptunik`, `spuntik`, `sputink`, `sputnikk`, `sputnki`, `sputnnik`, `sputtnik`, `ssputnik`, `suptnik`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/sputnik