steeple

/ˈstiːpəl/

//ˈstiːpəl// noun

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

"steeple" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“steeple” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #40,034 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#40,034
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A tall tower, often on a church, normally topped with a spire.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

steeple vs steppe
71% similar
steeple vs sterile
71% similar
steeple vs steeply
86% similar

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

Key facts for steeple
PropertyValue
Headwordsteeple
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈstiːpəl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#40,034
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “steeple” 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). steeple lands here:

#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 steeple is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈstiːpəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #40,034 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 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for steeple, with forms such as "seteple", "ssteeple", and "steelpe". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "steppe", "sterile", "steeply", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English stepel, from Old English stīpel, stȳpel, stīepel (“tower, steeple”), from Proto-West Germanic *staupil, from Proto-Germanic *staupilaz (“that which is steep, tower, steeple”), equivalent to steep + -le. Cognate with Old Norse stǫpull (“t… The correct English form is steeple, spelled S-T-E-E-P-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A tall tower, often on a church, normally topped with a spire.
  2. 2
    A spire.
  3. 3
    A high headdress of the 14th century.

Etymology

From Middle English stepel, from Old English stīpel, stȳpel, stīepel (“tower, steeple”), from Proto-West Germanic *staupil, from Proto-Germanic *staupilaz (“that which is steep, tower, steeple”), equivalent to steep + -le. Cognate with Old Norse stǫpull (“tower, steeple”).

This word in other languages

campanario(Español)clocher(Français)Kirchturm(Deutsch)campanário(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: seteple,ssteeple,steelpe,steepel,steeplle,steepple,stepele,steple,stteeple,tseeple

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

seteple2ssteeple1steelpe2steepel2steeplle1steepple1stepele2steple1
Edit distance from "steeple"

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 "steeple"?
"steeple" is spelled S-T-E-E-P-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstiːpəl/.
What does "steeple" mean?
As a noun, "steeple" means: A tall tower, often on a church, normally topped with a spire.
What words are commonly confused with "steeple"?
"steeple" is commonly confused with "steppe", "sterile", "steeply". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "steeple"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "steeple" is /ˈstiːpəl/. 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 "steeple"?
From Middle English stepel, from Old English stīpel, stȳpel, stīepel (“tower, steeple”), from Proto-West Germanic *staupil, from Proto-Germanic *staupilaz (“that which is steep, tower, steeple”), equivalent to steep + -le. Cognate with Old Norse s... 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 “steeple”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-T-E-E-P-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈstiːpəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “steppe” - see the side-by-side comparison. steeple vs steppe
  • 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.

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

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