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” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,590 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#16,590
frequency rank, English
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A conventional, formulaic, and often oversimplified or exaggerated conception, opinion, or image of (a person or a group of people).

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)

Where “stereotype” 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). stereotype 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 stereotype is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈstɛ.ɹi.əˌtaɪp/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,590 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “stereotype”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-T-E-R-E-O-T-Y-P-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈstɛ.ɹi.əˌtaɪp/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “stereotyped” - see the side-by-side comparison. stereotype vs stereotyped
  • 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