stalemate
/ˈsteɪlmeɪt/
"stalemate" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“stalemate” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,655 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #27,655
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state in which the player to move is not in check but has no legal moves, resulting in a draw.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | stalemate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈsteɪlmeɪt/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #27,655 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “stalemate” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for stalemate is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsteɪlmeɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #27,655 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for stalemate, with forms such as "satlemate", "sstalemate", and "staelmate". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From stale + mate. The correct English form is stalemate, spelled S-T-A-L-E-M-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1The state in which the player to move is not in check but has no legal moves, resulting in a draw.
- 2Any situation that has no obvious possible movement, but involves no personal loss.
- 3Any kind of match in which neither contestant laid claim to victory; a draw.
Etymology
From stale + mate.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: satlemate,sstalemate,staelmate,staleamte,stalemaet,stalematte,stalemmate,stalemtae,stallemate,stalmeate,stlaemate,sttalemate,tsalemate
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of stalemate - 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.
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 "stalemate"?
What does "stalemate" mean?
What are common misspellings of "stalemate"?
How do you pronounce "stalemate"?
What is the origin of the word "stalemate"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “stalemate”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-T-A-L-E-M-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈsteɪlmeɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.