squat

/skwɒt/

//skwɒt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“squat” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,515. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,515
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Relatively short or low, and thick or broad.

Corpus desk

Index EN-squat · squat · English

squat · rank #15,515 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,515
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH spinach

Nearest frequency peer: spinach (-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 “squat”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “squat” 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).

squat vs suit
60% similar
squat vs stat
60% similar
squat vs SWAT
0% similar

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

Key facts for squat
PropertyValue
Headwordsquat
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/skwɒt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#15,515
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “squat”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “spinach” (#15,514), “stew” (#15,516), “speculate” (#15,513). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “squat” is #15,515. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around squat (IPA /skwɒt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #15,515 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 squat, with forms such as "qsuat", "sqaut", and "sqquat". 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, "suit", "stat", "SWAT", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English squatten, from Old French esquatir, escatir (“compress, press down, lay flat, crush”), from es- (“ex-”) + quatir (“press down, flatten”), from Vulgar Latin *coactire (“press together, force”), from Latin coāctus, perfect passive particip… The correct English form is squat, spelled S-Q-U-A-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Relatively short or low, and thick or broad.
  2. 2
    Sitting on one's heels; sitting close to the ground; cowering or crouching.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The SQUILL-INSECT. […] So called from ſome ſimilitude to the Squill-fiſh: chiefly, in having a long Body cover'd with a Cruſt compoſed of ſeveral Rings or Plates. The Head is broad and ſquat. He hath a pair of notable ſharp Fangs before, both hooked inward like a Bulls horns.
  2. What in the midst lay but the Tower itself? / The round squat turret, blind as the fool's heart, / Built of round stone, without a counterpart / In the whole world. […]

Etymology

From Middle English squatten, from Old French esquatir, escatir (“compress, press down, lay flat, crush”), from es- (“ex-”) + quatir (“press down, flatten”), from Vulgar Latin *coactire (“press together, force”), from Latin coāctus, perfect passive participle of cōgō (“force together, compress”). The sense “nothing” may be the source or a derivation of diddly-squat.

This word in other languages

rechoncho(Español)trapu(Français)untersetzt(Deutsch)chato(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • qsuat
  • sqaut
  • sqquat
  • squatt
  • squta
  • ssquat
  • suqat

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

qsuat2sqaut2sqquat1squatt1squta2ssquat1suqat2
Edit distance from "squat"

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 "squat"?
"squat" is spelled S-Q-U-A-T. The IPA pronunciation is /skwɒt/.
What does "squat" mean?
As an adjective, "squat" means: Relatively short or low, and thick or broad.
What words are commonly confused with "squat"?
"squat" is commonly confused with "suit", "stat", "SWAT". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "squat"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "squat" is /skwɒt/. 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 "squat"?
From Middle English squatten, from Old French esquatir, escatir (“compress, press down, lay flat, crush”), from es- (“ex-”) + quatir (“press down, flatten”), from Vulgar Latin *coactire (“press together, force”), from Latin coāctus, perfect passiv... 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 "squat", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Sunni#15,524sheds#15,504scalp#15,499thorn#15,531

Similar misspelling depth

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

toned7 variantsTulsa7 variantsVolvo7 variantswiser7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list