stereotype

/ˈstɛ.ɹi.əˌtaɪp/

//ˈstɛ.ɹi.əˌtaɪp// noun

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

"stereotype" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“stereotype” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,590. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,590
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A conventional, formulaic, and often oversimplified or exaggerated conception, opinion, or image of (a person or a group of people).

Corpus desk

Index EN-stereotype · stereotype · English

stereotype · rank #16,590 · 15 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #16,590
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH stale

Nearest frequency peer: stale (-1 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 “stereotype”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “stereotype” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

stereotype vs stereotyped
91% similar

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

Key facts for stereotype
PropertyValue
Headwordstereotype
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈstɛ.ɹi.əˌtaɪp/
Letters10
Frequency rank#16,590
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “stereotype”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).stereotypelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “stale” (#16,589), “sterile” (#16,591), “soaking” (#16,588). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “stereotype” is #16,590. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around stereotype (IPA /ˈstɛ.ɹi.əˌtaɪp/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,590 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for stereotype, with forms such as "setreotype", "sstereotype", and "steerotype". 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. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "stereotyped", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French stéréotype (adjective), equivalent to stereo- + type. Printing sense is from 1817; the “conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image” sense is recorded from 1922 in Walter Lippmann’s book Public Opinion. The correct English form is stereotype, spelled S-T-E-R-E-O-T-Y-P-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A conventional, formulaic, and often oversimplified or exaggerated conception, opinion, or image of (a person or a group of people).
  2. 2
    A person who is regarded as embodying or conforming to a set image or type.
  3. 3
    A metal printing plate cast from a matrix moulded from a raised printing surface.
  4. 4
    An extensibility mechanism of the Unified Modeling Language, allowing a new element to be derived from an existing one with added specializations.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how stereotype appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Not all Zumbetonians wear plimsolls. That's just a stereotype.
  2. Instead we notice a trait which marks a well known type, and fill in the rest of the picture by means of the stereotypes we carry about in our heads.

Etymology

Borrowed from French stéréotype (adjective), equivalent to stereo- + type. Printing sense is from 1817; the “conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image” sense is recorded from 1922 in Walter Lippmann’s book Public Opinion.

This word in other languages

estereotipo(Español)stéréotype(Français)Stereotyp(Deutsch)estereótipo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • setreotype
  • sstereotype
  • steerotype
  • stereotpye
  • stereottype
  • stereotyep
  • stereotyppe
  • stereotyype
  • stereoytpe
  • steretoype
  • steroetype
  • sterreotype
  • streeotype
  • sttereotype
  • tsereotype

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of stereotype - 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.

setreotype2sstereotype1steerotype2stereotpye2stereottype1stereotyep2stereotyppe1stereotyype1
Edit distance from "stereotype"

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 "stereotype"?
"stereotype" is spelled S-T-E-R-E-O-T-Y-P-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɛ.ɹi.əˌtaɪp/.
What does "stereotype" mean?
As a noun, "stereotype" means: A conventional, formulaic, and often oversimplified or exaggerated conception, opinion, or image of (a person or a group of people).
What words are commonly confused with "stereotype"?
"stereotype" is commonly confused with "stereotyped". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "stereotype"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stereotype" is /ˈstɛ.ɹi.əˌtaɪp/. 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 "stereotype"?
Borrowed from French stéréotype (adjective), equivalent to stereo- + type. Printing sense is from 1817; the “conventional, formulaic, and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image” sense is recorded from 1922 in Walter Lippmann’s book Public Op... 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 "stereotype", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

repository#16,576repertoire#16,575relegation#16,574upbringing#16,610

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

stringent15 variantspsychotic15 variantsdealership15 variantsillegitimate15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list