stilted

/ˈstɪltɪd/

//ˈstɪltɪd// adj

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

"stilted" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“stilted” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #49,652 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#49,652
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Making use of or possessing a stilt or stilts, or things resembling stilts; raised on stilts.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

stilted vs suited
71% similar
stilted vs styled
71% similar
stilted vs stirred
71% similar

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

Key facts for stilted
PropertyValue
Headwordstilted
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈstɪltɪd/
Letters7
Frequency rank#49,652
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “stilted” 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). stilted 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 stilted is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈstɪltɪd/. Corpus data places it at rank #49,652 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for stilted, with forms such as "sitlted", "sstilted", and "stiletd". 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. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "suited", "styled", "stirred", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From stilt + -ed. The correct English form is stilted, spelled S-T-I-L-T-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Making use of or possessing a stilt or stilts, or things resembling stilts; raised on stilts.
  2. 2
    Elevated or raised in a contrived or unnatural way; stiff and artificially formal or pompous; also, depending on redundant, unnecessary elements.
  3. 3
    Of a building or architectural feature such as an arch or vault: supported by stilts (“supporting pillars or posts”); also (generally) having the main part raised above the usual level by some structure.

Etymology

From stilt + -ed.

This word in other languages

acartonado(Español)guindé(Français)gestelzt(Deutsch)pomposo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: sitlted,sstilted,stiletd,stillted,stiltde,stiltedd,stiltted,stitled,stlited,sttilted,tsilted

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

sitlted2sstilted1stiletd2stillted1stiltde2stiltedd1stiltted1stitled2
Edit distance from "stilted"

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 "stilted"?
"stilted" is spelled S-T-I-L-T-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɪltɪd/.
What does "stilted" mean?
As an adjective, "stilted" means: Making use of or possessing a stilt or stilts, or things resembling stilts; raised on stilts.
What words are commonly confused with "stilted"?
"stilted" is commonly confused with "suited", "styled", "stirred". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "stilted"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stilted" is /ˈstɪltɪd/. 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 "stilted"?
From stilt + -ed. 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 “stilted”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-T-I-L-T-E-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈstɪltɪd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “suited” - see the side-by-side comparison. stilted vs suited
  • 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