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 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,650
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person who hides on board a ship, train, etc. so as to get a free passage.

Corpus desk

Index EN-stowaway · stowaway · English

stowaway · rank #52,650 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,650
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH stephane

Nearest frequency peer: stephane (-2 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 “stowaway”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for stowaway
PropertyValue
Headwordstowaway
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈstəʊəˌweɪ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#52,650
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “stowaway” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).stowawayfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “stephane” (#52,648), “statically” (#52,647), “strictures” (#52,653). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “stowaway” is #52,650. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

stowaway is uncommon English at frequency #52,650 among 6,566 “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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. “Oh, I don't mind 'em, sir,” said Archy; “I knew it all before now. Didn't I hear 'em in the hold? And didn't I tell Cabaco here of it? What say ye, Cabaco? They are stowaways, Mr. Flask.”
  2. In every sense of the expression he is ‘on deck’; but my Jim, for the most part, skulked down below as though he had been a stowaway.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "stowaway", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

stephane#52,648switcher#52,662softener#52,635Tashkent#52,669

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list