stopper

/ˈstɒp.ə/

//ˈstɒp.ə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“stopper” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #25,938 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#25,938
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Someone or something that stops something.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

stopper vs supper
71% similar
stopper vs stover
71% similar
stopper vs stripper
75% similar

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

Key facts for stopper
PropertyValue
Headwordstopper
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈstɒp.ə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#25,938
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “stopper” 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). stopper 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 stopper is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈstɒp.ə/. Corpus data places it at rank #25,938 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for stopper, with forms such as "sotpper", "sstopper", and "stopepr". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "supper", "stover", "stripper", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From stop + -er. The correct English form is stopper, spelled S-T-O-P-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone or something that stops something.
  2. 2
    A type of knot at the end of a rope, to prevent it from unravelling.
  3. 3
    A bung or cork.
  4. 4
    Goalkeeper.
  5. 5
    In the commodity futures market, someone who is long (owns) a futures contract and is demanding delivery because they want to take possession of the deliverable commodity.
  6. 6
    A train that calls at all or almost all stations between its origin and destination, including very small ones.
  7. 7
    Any of several trees of the genus Eugenia, found in Florida and the West Indies.
  8. 8
    A short rope for making something fast.
  9. 9
    A playspot where water flows back on itself, creating a retentive feature.

Etymology

From stop + -er.

Synonyms

localstopping trainplug

Antonyms

fastexpress

This word in other languages

Stöpsel(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: sotpper,sstopper,stopepr,stoper,stopperr,stoppre,stpoper,sttopper,tsopper

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

sotpper2sstopper1stopepr2stoper1stopperr1stoppre2stpoper2sttopper1
Edit distance from "stopper"

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 "stopper"?
"stopper" is spelled S-T-O-P-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɒp.ə/.
What does "stopper" mean?
As a noun, "stopper" means: Someone or something that stops something.
What words are commonly confused with "stopper"?
"stopper" is commonly confused with "supper", "stover", "stripper". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "stopper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stopper" is /ˈstɒp.ə/. 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 "stopper"?
From stop + -er. 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 “stopper”

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

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