Stanford

Name: Stanford, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈstænfəɹd/

//ˈstænfəɹd// name

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“Stanford” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,400 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#7,400
frequency rank, English: 8
letters: 13
tracked misspellings: 7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A habitational surname from Old English.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Stanford vs Stratford

78% similar

Stanford vs Sanford

88% similar

Stanford vs Salford

75% similar

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

Key facts for Stanford
Property	Value
Headword	Stanford
Language	English
Part of speech	Proper noun
IPA	/ˈstænfəɹd/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#7,400
Misspellings tracked	13
Confusable pairs	7
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Stanford” 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). Stanford lands here:

#7,400

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for Stanford is 8 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈstænfəɹd/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,400 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 16 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 Stanford, with forms such as "satnford", "sstanford", and "stafnord". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "Stratford", "Sanford", "Salford", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Various placenames from Old English stān (“stone”) + ford (“ford”). * (The university): Named after the son of railroad magnate Leland Stanford. The correct English form is Stanford, spelled S-T-A-N-F-O-R-D.

Definition

1
A habitational surname from Old English.
2
A male given name transferred from the surname.
3
A private university in Santa Clara County, California.
4
A place in England:
5
A place in England:
6
A place in England:
7
A place in England:
8
A number of places in the United States:
9
A number of places in the United States:
10
A number of places in the United States:
11
A number of places in the United States:
12
A number of places in the United States:
13
A number of places in the United States:
14
A number of places in the United States:
15
A number of places in the United States:
16
A small village in the Western Cape province, South Africa.

Etymology

Various placenames from Old English stān (“stone”) + ford (“ford”). * (The university): Named after the son of railroad magnate Leland Stanford.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: satnford,sstanford,stafnord,stanfford,stanfodr,stanfordd,stanforrd,stanfrod,stannford,stanofrd,stnaford,sttanford,tsanford

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Stanford - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "Stanford"

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 "Stanford"?

"Stanford" is spelled S-T-A-N-F-O-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstænfəɹd/.

What does "Stanford" mean?

As a proper noun, "Stanford" means: A habitational surname from Old English.

What words are commonly confused with "Stanford"?

"Stanford" is commonly confused with "Stratford", "Sanford", "Salford". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "Stanford"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Stanford" is /ˈstænfəɹd/. 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 "Stanford"?

Various placenames from Old English stān (“stone”) + ford (“ford”). * (The university): Named after the son of railroad magnate Leland Stanford. 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.

Using “Stanford”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is S-T-A-N-F-O-R-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈstænfəɹd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “Stratford” - see the side-by-side comparison. Stanford vs Stratford
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.