steeplechase

/ˈstiːpəltʃeɪs/

//ˈstiːpəltʃeɪs// noun

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

"steeplechase" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“steeplechase” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #47,932. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#47,932
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
18
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A horse race, either across open country, or over an obstacle course.

Corpus desk

Index EN-steeplechase · steeplechase · English

steeplechase · rank #47,932 · 18 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #47,932
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 18 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sternly

Nearest frequency peer: sternly (+2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “steeplechase”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “steeplechase” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for steeplechase
PropertyValue
Headwordsteeplechase
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈstiːpəltʃeɪs/
Letters12
Frequency rank#47,932
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “steeplechase”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).steeplechaselands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “sternly” (#47,934), “stopwatch” (#47,935), “Starbuck” (#47,928). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “steeplechase” is #47,932. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around steeplechase (IPA /ˈstiːpəltʃeɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #47,932 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

  1. 1
    A horse race, either across open country, or over an obstacle course.
  2. 2
    An 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

steeple-chase(Français)Steeplechase(Deutsch)

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.

seteplechase2ssteeplechase1steelpechase2steepelchase2steeplcehase2steeplecahse2steeplecchase1steeplechaes2
Edit distance from "steeplechase"

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"?
"steeplechase" is spelled S-T-E-E-P-L-E-C-H-A-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstiːpəltʃeɪs/.
What does "steeplechase" mean?
As a noun, "steeplechase" means: A horse race, either across open country, or over an obstacle course.
What are common misspellings of "steeplechase"?
Common misspellings include "seteplechase", "ssteeplechase", "steelpechase", "steepelchase", "steeplcehase". The correct spelling is "steeplechase".
How do you pronounce "steeplechase"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "steeplechase" is /ˈstiːpəltʃeɪs/. 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 "steeplechase"?
Compound of steeple + chase, from horse races in 18th century Ireland in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "steeplechase", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

stranglehold#47,936secessionist#47,895truthfulness#47,976understaffed#47,985

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

sympathizer18 variantstyrannosaurus18 variantsunflinching18 variantsvideographer18 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list