stenosis

/stɪˈnəʊ.sɪs/

//stɪˈnəʊ.sɪs// noun

"stenosis" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“stenosis” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #37,235 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#37,235
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An abnormal narrowing or stricture in a blood vessel or other tubular organ.

Key facts for stenosis
PropertyValue
Headwordstenosis
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/stɪˈnəʊ.sɪs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#37,235
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “stenosis” 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). stenosis 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 stenosis is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /stɪˈnəʊ.sɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #37,235 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 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for stenosis, with forms such as "setnosis", "sstenosis", and "stennosis". 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. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From New Latin stenōsis, from Ancient Greek στένωσις (sténōsis, “narrowing”), from στενόω (stenóō, “to confine, to contract”) + -σις (-sis, nominal suffix), equivalent to steno- + -osis. The correct English form is stenosis, spelled S-T-E-N-O-S-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    An abnormal narrowing or stricture in a blood vessel or other tubular organ.
  2. 2
    A reduction in either mental or physical capacity.

Etymology

From New Latin stenōsis, from Ancient Greek στένωσις (sténōsis, “narrowing”), from στενόω (stenóō, “to confine, to contract”) + -σις (-sis, nominal suffix), equivalent to steno- + -osis.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: setnosis,sstenosis,stennosis,stenoiss,stenosiss,stenossi,stenossis,stensois,steonsis,stneosis,sttenosis,tsenosis

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

setnosis2sstenosis1stennosis1stenoiss2stenosiss1stenossi2stenossis1stensois2
Edit distance from "stenosis"

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 "stenosis"?
"stenosis" is spelled S-T-E-N-O-S-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /stɪˈnəʊ.sɪs/.
What does "stenosis" mean?
As a noun, "stenosis" means: An abnormal narrowing or stricture in a blood vessel or other tubular organ.
What are common misspellings of "stenosis"?
Common misspellings include "setnosis", "sstenosis", "stennosis", "stenoiss", "stenosiss". The correct spelling is "stenosis".
How do you pronounce "stenosis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stenosis" is /stɪˈnəʊ.sɪs/. 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 "stenosis"?
From New Latin stenōsis, from Ancient Greek στένωσις (sténōsis, “narrowing”), from στενόω (stenóō, “to confine, to contract”) + -σις (-sis, nominal suffix), equivalent to steno- + -osis. 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 “stenosis”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-T-E-N-O-S-I-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /stɪˈnəʊ.sɪs/ (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.

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

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