# stepmother

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈstɛpmʌðə/ · frequency rank #23,689

## Definitions
1. The wife of one's biological father, other than one's biological mother.
2. A viola, especially Viola tricolor, heartsease.

## Etymology
From Middle English stepmoder, from Old English stēopmōdor, from Proto-Germanic *steupamōdēr (“stepmother”), corresponding to step- + mother. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Stäifmuur (“stepmother”), Dutch stiefmoeder (“stepmother”), German Low German Steevmoder (“stepmother”), German Stiefmutter (“stepmother”), Danish stedmor (“stepmother”), Swedish styvmor (“stepmother”), Icelandic stjúpmóðir (“stepmother”). Compare also West Frisian styfmem (“stepmother”).

## Easily confused with
- **stepfather** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stepfather-vs-stepmother)

## Common misspellings (16)
`setpmother`, `sstepmother`, `stempother`, `stepmmother`, `stepmohter`, `stepmotehr`, `stepmotherr`, `stepmothher`, `stepmothre`, `stepmotther`, `stepmtoher`, `stepomther`, `steppmother`, `stpemother`, `sttepmother`, `tsepmother`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/stepmother