stillborn

/ˈstɪlbɔː(ɹ)n/

//ˈstɪlbɔː(ɹ)n// adj

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

"stillborn" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“stillborn” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #40,037. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#40,037
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Dead at birth.

Corpus desk

Index EN-stillborn · stillborn · English

stillborn · rank #40,037 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #40,037
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH stig

Nearest frequency peer: stig (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “stillborn”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “stillborn” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for stillborn
PropertyValue
Headwordstillborn
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈstɪlbɔː(ɹ)n/
Letters9
Frequency rank#40,037
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “stillborn” 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).stillbornlands 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 “stig” (#40,036), “Sturgis” (#40,038), “sth” (#40,035). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around stillborn (IPA /ˈstɪlbɔː(ɹ)n/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #40,037 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for stillborn, with forms such as "sitllborn", "sstillborn", and "stilblorn". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From English still + born. First attested in 1597. The correct English form is stillborn, spelled S-T-I-L-L-B-O-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Dead at birth.
  2. 2
    Ignored, without influence, or unsuccessful from the outset; abortive.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Queen Anne, before Elizabeth, bore a still-born son.
  2. 1978, Holy Bible (New International Version), Job 3:16, Or why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day?

Etymology

From English still + born. First attested in 1597.

This word in other languages

mort-né(Français)totgeboren(Deutsch)natimorto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • sitllborn
  • sstillborn
  • stilblorn
  • stilborn
  • stillbborn
  • stillbonr
  • stillbornn
  • stillborrn
  • stillbron
  • stillobrn
  • stlilborn
  • sttillborn
  • tsillborn

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of stillborn - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

sitllborn2sstillborn1stilblorn2stilborn1stillbborn1stillbonr2stillbornn1stillborrn1
Edit distance from "stillborn"

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 "stillborn"?
"stillborn" is spelled S-T-I-L-L-B-O-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɪlbɔː(ɹ)n/.
What does "stillborn" mean?
As an adjective, "stillborn" means: Dead at birth.
What are common misspellings of "stillborn"?
Common misspellings include "sitllborn", "sstillborn", "stilblorn", "stilborn", "stillbborn". The correct spelling is "stillborn".
How do you pronounce "stillborn"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stillborn" is /ˈstɪlbɔː(ɹ)n/. 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 "stillborn"?
From English still + born. First attested in 1597. 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 "stillborn", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

timescale#40,054trampling#40,059ventricle#40,073waistband#40,080

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

Wahlberg13 variantswizardry13 variantsquivering13 variantsabatement13 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "stillborn". Here's where to go from here.

  • 13 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #40,037 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "S" letter cohort. S–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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