stopgap

/ˈstɒpɡæp/

//ˈstɒpɡæp// noun

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

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

The verdict

“stopgap” is uncommon English (frequency #59,732 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#59,732
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - That which stops up or fills a gap or hole.

Corpus desk

Index EN-stopgap · stopgap · English

stopgap · rank #59,732 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #59,732
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH stimulator

Nearest frequency peer: stimulator (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “stopgap”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for stopgap
PropertyValue
Headwordstopgap
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈstɒpɡæp/
Letters7
Frequency rank#59,732
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “stopgap” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).stopgapfalls 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: “stimulator” (#59,731), “Stuckey” (#59,733), “Subiaco” (#59,734). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “stopgap” is #59,732. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

stopgap is uncommon English at frequency #59,732 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈstɒpɡæp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

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

  1. 1
    That which stops up or fills a gap or hole.
  2. 2
    Something spoken to fill up an uncomfortable pause in speech; a filled pause or filler.
  3. 3
    A 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.
  4. 4
    A 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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [A] bit of ink and paper which has long been an innocent wrapping or stop-gap may at last be laid open under the one pair of eyes which have knowledge enough to turn it into the opening of a catastrophe.
  2. The small company used their old product with a few kludged enhancements as a stopgap until they could develop a new product.

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

paliativo(Español)bouche-trou(Français)Lückenbüßer(Deutsch)

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 "stopgap"?
"stopgap" is spelled S-T-O-P-G-A-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɒpɡæp/.
What does "stopgap" mean?
As a noun, "stopgap" means: That which stops up or fills a gap or hole.
How do you pronounce "stopgap"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stopgap" is /ˈstɒpɡæp/. 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 "stopgap"?
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. 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 "stopgap", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Stuckey#59,733Subiaco#59,734stepper#59,729stamper#59,727

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list