staphylococcus

/ˌstæfələˈkɔkəs/

//ˌstæfələˈkɔkəs// noun

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

"staphylococcus" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“staphylococcus” has 21 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #44,502. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#44,502
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords
21
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A spherical gram-positive parasitic bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus, causing blisters, septicemia, and other infections.

Key facts for staphylococcus
PropertyValue
Headwordstaphylococcus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌstæfələˈkɔkəs/
Letters14
Frequency rank#44,502
Misspellings tracked21
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “staphylococcus” 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). staphylococcus lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 21 spelling variants around staphylococcus (IPA /ˌstæfələˈkɔkəs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #44,502 among 54,294 “S” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A spherical gram-positive parasitic bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus, causing blisters, septicemia, and other infections.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 21 likely wrong-spelling variants for staphylococcus, with forms such as "satphylococcus", "sstaphylococcus", and "stahpylococcus". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from translingual Staphylococcus. By surface analysis, staphylo- + -coccus. The correct English form is staphylococcus, spelled S-T-A-P-H-Y-L-O-C-O-C-C-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A spherical gram-positive parasitic bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus, causing blisters, septicemia, and other infections.

Etymology

Borrowed from translingual Staphylococcus. By surface analysis, staphylo- + -coccus.

This word in other languages

estafilococo(Español)staphylocoque(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • satphylococcus
  • sstaphylococcus
  • stahpylococcus
  • staphhylococcus
  • staphlyococcus
  • staphylcooccus
  • staphyllococcus
  • staphyloccoccus
  • staphyloccocus
  • staphylococcsu
  • staphylococcuss
  • staphylococucs
  • staphylococus
  • staphyloocccus
  • staphyolcoccus
  • staphyylococcus
  • stapphylococcus
  • stapyhlococcus
  • stpahylococcus
  • sttaphylococcus
  • tsaphylococcus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of staphylococcus - 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.

satphylococcus2sstaphylococcus1stahpylococcus2staphhylococcus1staphlyococcus2staphylcooccus2staphyllococcus1staphyloccoccus1
Edit distance from "staphylococcus"

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 "staphylococcus"?
"staphylococcus" is spelled S-T-A-P-H-Y-L-O-C-O-C-C-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌstæfələˈkɔkəs/.
What does "staphylococcus" mean?
As a noun, "staphylococcus" means: A spherical gram-positive parasitic bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus, causing blisters, septicemia, and other infections.
What are common misspellings of "staphylococcus"?
Common misspellings include "satphylococcus", "sstaphylococcus", "stahpylococcus", "staphhylococcus", "staphlyococcus". The correct spelling is "staphylococcus".
How do you pronounce "staphylococcus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "staphylococcus" is /ˌstæfələˈkɔkəs/. 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 "staphylococcus"?
Borrowed from translingual Staphylococcus. By surface analysis, staphylo- + -coccus. 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 “staphylococcus”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-T-A-P-H-Y-L-O-C-O-C-C-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌstæfələˈkɔkəs/ (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

Same frequency band

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list