stout

/staʊt/

//staʊt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“stout” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,140 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#16,140
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Large; bulky.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

stout vs Stu
40% similar
stout vs stud
60% similar
stout vs stun
60% similar

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

Key facts for stout
PropertyValue
Headwordstout
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/staʊt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#16,140
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “stout” 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). stout 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 stout is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /staʊt/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,140 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 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for stout, with forms such as "sotut", "sstout", and "stotu". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Stu", "stud", "stun", 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 Middle English stoute, from Old French estout (“brave, fierce, proud”) (Modern French dialectal stout (“proud”)), from earlier Old French estolt (“strong”), from Frankish *stolt, *stult (“bold, proud”), from Proto-Germanic *stultaz (“bold, proud”), fro… The correct English form is stout, spelled S-T-O-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Large; bulky.
  2. 2
    Bold, strong-minded.
  3. 3
    Proud; haughty.
  4. 4
    Firm; resolute; dauntless.
  5. 5
    Materially strong, enduring.
  6. 6
    Obstinate.

Etymology

From Middle English stoute, from Old French estout (“brave, fierce, proud”) (Modern French dialectal stout (“proud”)), from earlier Old French estolt (“strong”), from Frankish *stolt, *stult (“bold, proud”), from Proto-Germanic *stultaz (“bold, proud”), from Proto-Indo-European *stel- (“to put, stand”). Cognate with Dutch stout (“stout, bold, naughty”), Low German stolt (“stately, proud”), German stolz (“proud, haughty, arrogant, stately”), Old Norse stoltr (“proud”) (Danish stolt (“proud”), Icelandic stoltur (“proud”)). Meaning "strong in body, powerfully built" is attested from First attested in c. 1386, but has been to a large extent displaced by the euphemistic meaning "thick-bodied, fat and large," which is first recorded 1804. Original sense preserved in stout-hearted (1552). The noun "strong, dark-brown beer" is first recorded 1677, from the adjective.

This word in other languages

corpulento(Español)groß(Deutsch)vigoroso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: sotut,sstout,stotu,stoutt,sttout,stuot,tsout

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

sotut2sstout1stotu2stoutt1sttout1stuot2tsout2
Edit distance from "stout"

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 "stout"?
"stout" is spelled S-T-O-U-T. The IPA pronunciation is /staʊt/.
What does "stout" mean?
As an adjective, "stout" means: Large; bulky.
What words are commonly confused with "stout"?
"stout" is commonly confused with "Stu", "stud", "stun". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "stout"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stout" is /staʊt/. 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 "stout"?
From Middle English stoute, from Old French estout (“brave, fierce, proud”) (Modern French dialectal stout (“proud”)), from earlier Old French estolt (“strong”), from Frankish *stolt, *stult (“bold, proud”), from Proto-Germanic *stultaz (“bold, pr... 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 “stout”

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

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