steric

adj

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

"steric" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“steric” is uncommon English (frequency #80,002 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#80,002
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Relating to or involving the arrangement of atoms in space.

Corpus desk

Index EN-steric · steric · English

steric · rank #80,002 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #80,002
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH stoichiometry

Nearest frequency peer: stoichiometry (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “steric”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “steric” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for steric
PropertyValue
Headwordsteric
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters6
Frequency rank#80,002
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “steric” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).stericfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “stoichiometry” (#80,004), “stowing” (#80,005), “structuralist” (#80,008). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “steric” is #80,002. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

steric is uncommon English at frequency #80,002 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for steric, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From ster(eo)- (“3D”) + -ic. The correct English form is steric, spelled S-T-E-R-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Relating to or involving the arrangement of atoms in space.
  2. 2
    of the repulsion of atoms due to closeness or arrangement

Etymology

From ster(eo)- (“3D”) + -ic.

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 "steric"?
"steric" is spelled S-T-E-R-I-C.
What does "steric" mean?
As an adjective, "steric" means: Relating to or involving the arrangement of atoms in space.
What is the origin of the word "steric"?
From ster(eo)- (“3D”) + -ic. 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 "steric", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

succor#80,013sneers#79,985Sylhet#80,025shrove#79,972

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list