steeplechase
/ˈstiːpəltʃeɪs/
"steeplechase" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“steeplechase” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #47,932 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #47,932
- frequency rank, English
- 12
- letters
- 18
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A horse race, either across open country, or over an obstacle course.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | steeplechase |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈstiːpəltʃeɪs/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Frequency rank | #47,932 |
| Misspellings tracked | 18 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “steeplechase” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for steeplechase is 12 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈstiːpəltʃeɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #47,932 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for steeplechase, with forms such as "seteplechase", "ssteeplechase", and "steelpechase". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Compound of steeple + chase, from horse races in 18th century Ireland in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple. The correct English form is steeplechase, spelled S-T-E-E-P-L-E-C-H-A-S-E.
Definition
- 1A horse race, either across open country, or over an obstacle course.
- 2An athletics event in which the runners have to run 3000 metres round a track, jumping hurdles and a water obstacle along the way.
Etymology
Compound of steeple + chase, from horse races in 18th century Ireland in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: seteplechase,ssteeplechase,steelpechase,steepelchase,steeplcehase,steeplecahse,steeplecchase,steeplechaes,steeplechasse,steeplechhase,steeplechsae,steeplehcase,steepllechase,steepplechase,stepelechase,steplechase,stteeplechase,tseeplechase
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of steeplechase - 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 "steeplechase"?
What does "steeplechase" mean?
What are common misspellings of "steeplechase"?
How do you pronounce "steeplechase"?
What is the origin of the word "steeplechase"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “steeplechase”
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-C-H-A-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈstiːpəltʃeɪs/ (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.