stopgap
/ˈstɒpɡæp/
"stopgap" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“stopgap” is an uncommon English word, ranked #59,732 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #59,732
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - That which stops up or fills a gap or hole.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | stopgap |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈstɒpɡæp/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #59,732 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “stopgap” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for stopgap is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈstɒpɡæp/. Corpus data places it at rank #59,732 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.
stopgap has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is derived from stop (“to close or block (an opening)”) + gap, from the phrase to stop a gap. The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun, and the verb is derived from the noun. The correct English form is stopgap, spelled S-T-O-P-G-A-P.
Definition
- 1That which stops up or fills a gap or hole.
- 2Something spoken to fill up an uncomfortable pause in speech; a filled pause or filler.
- 3A short-term fix or temporary measure used until something better can be obtained; that which serves as an expedient in an emergency; a band-aid solution.
- 4A short-term fix or temporary measure used until something better can be obtained; that which serves as an expedient in an emergency; a band-aid solution.
Etymology
The noun is derived from stop (“to close or block (an opening)”) + gap, from the phrase to stop a gap. The adjective is from an attributive use of the noun, and the verb is derived from the noun.
This word in other languages
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
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Using “stopgap”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-T-O-P-G-A-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈstɒpɡæp/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.