stowaway

/ˈstəʊəˌweɪ/

//ˈstəʊəˌweɪ// noun

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

"stowaway" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“stowaway” is uncommon English (frequency #52,650 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,650
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person who hides on board a ship, train, etc. so as to get a free passage.

Key facts for stowaway
PropertyValue
Headwordstowaway
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈstəʊəˌweɪ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#52,650
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “stowaway” 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). stowaway lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

stowaway is uncommon English at frequency #52,650 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈstəʊəˌweɪ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A person who hides on board a ship, train, etc. so as to get a free passage.".

Zero misspellings are on record for stowaway in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From stow away, from stow and away. The correct English form is stowaway, spelled S-T-O-W-A-W-A-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who hides on board a ship, train, etc. so as to get a free passage.

Etymology

From stow away, from stow and away.

This word in other languages

polizón(Español)passager clandestin(Français)blinder Passagier(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 "stowaway"?
"stowaway" is spelled S-T-O-W-A-W-A-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstəʊəˌweɪ/.
What does "stowaway" mean?
As a noun, "stowaway" means: A person who hides on board a ship, train, etc. so as to get a free passage.
How do you pronounce "stowaway"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stowaway" is /ˈstəʊəˌweɪ/. 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 "stowaway"?
From stow away, from stow and away. 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 “stowaway”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-T-O-W-A-W-A-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈstəʊəˌweɪ/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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