stint

/stɪnt/

//stɪnt// verb

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

"stint" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“stint” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,867 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#12,867
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To stop (an action); cease, desist.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

stint vs suit
60% similar
stint vs stir
60% similar
stint vs stun
60% similar

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

Key facts for stint
PropertyValue
Headwordstint
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/stɪnt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#12,867
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “stint” 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). stint 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 stint is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /stɪnt/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,867 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for stint, with forms such as "sitnt", "sstint", and "stinnt". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "suit", "stir", "stun", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English stinten, from Old English styntan (“to make blunt”) and *stintan (attested in āstintan (“to make dull, stint, assuage”)), from Proto-West Germanic *stuntijan, from Proto-Germanic *stuntijaną and Proto-Germanic *stintaną (“to make short”)… The correct English form is stint, spelled S-T-I-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To stop (an action); cease, desist.
  2. 2
    To stop speaking or talking (of a subject).
  3. 3
    To be sparing or mean.
  4. 4
    To restrain within certain limits; to bound; to restrict to a scant allowance.
  5. 5
    To assign a certain task to (a person), upon the performance of which he/she is excused from further labour for that day or period; to stent.
  6. 6
    To impregnate successfully; to get with foal.

Etymology

From Middle English stinten, from Old English styntan (“to make blunt”) and *stintan (attested in āstintan (“to make dull, stint, assuage”)), from Proto-West Germanic *stuntijan, from Proto-Germanic *stuntijaną and Proto-Germanic *stintaną (“to make short”), probably influenced in some senses by cognate Old Norse *stynta, stytta (“to make short, shorten”).

This word in other languages

cesar(Español)geizen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: sitnt,sstint,stinnt,stintt,stitn,stnit,sttint,tsint

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of stint - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

sitnt2sstint1stinnt1stintt1stitn2stnit2sttint1tsint2
Edit distance from "stint"

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 "stint"?
"stint" is spelled S-T-I-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /stɪnt/.
What does "stint" mean?
As a verb, "stint" means: To stop (an action); cease, desist.
What words are commonly confused with "stint"?
"stint" is commonly confused with "suit", "stir", "stun". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "stint"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stint" is /stɪnt/. 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 "stint"?
From Middle English stinten, from Old English styntan (“to make blunt”) and *stintan (attested in āstintan (“to make dull, stint, assuage”)), from Proto-West Germanic *stuntijan, from Proto-Germanic *stuntijaną and Proto-Germanic *stintaną (“to ma... 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 “stint”

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

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