stuff

/stʌf/

//stʌf// noun

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

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

The verdict

“stuff” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #757. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#757
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Miscellaneous items or objects; (with possessive) personal effects.

Corpus desk

Index EN-stuff · stuff · English

stuff · rank #757 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #757
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH stand

Nearest frequency peer: stand (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “stuff”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “stuff” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

stuff vs surf
60% similar
stuff vs stun
60% similar
stuff vs Sufi
40% similar

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

Key facts for stuff
PropertyValue
Headwordstuff
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/stʌf/
Letters5
Frequency rank#757
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “stuff” 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). stuff lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around stuff (IPA /stʌf/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #757 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 14 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for stuff, with forms such as "sstuff", "stfuf", and "sttuff". 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, "surf", "stun", "Sufi", 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 stuf, stuffe, borrowed from Medieval Latin stuffa and its etymon Old French estofe, estoffe, estuf, estuffe, stoffe, from estoffer, estofer (“to provide what is necessary, equip, stuff”), borrowed from Old High German stoffōn, from Proto… The correct English form is stuff, spelled S-T-U-F-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    Miscellaneous items or objects; (with possessive) personal effects.
  2. 2
    Miscellaneous items or objects; (with possessive) personal effects.
  3. 3
    Unspecified things or matters.
  4. 4
    The tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object.
  5. 5
    The tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object.
  6. 6
    The tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object.
  7. 7
    The tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object.
  8. 8
    The tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object.
  9. 9
    Used as placeholder, usually for material of unknown type or name.
  10. 10
    Narcotic drugs, especially heroin.
  11. 11
    A medicine or mixture; a potion.
  12. 12
    Refuse or worthless matter; hence, also, foolish or irrational language.
  13. 13
    A melted mass of turpentine, tallow, etc., with which the masts, sides, and bottom of a ship are smeared for lubrication.
  14. 14
    Money.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. What is all that stuff on your bedroom floor? He didn't want his pockets to bulge so he was walking around with all his stuff in his hands.
  2. The Bat—they called him the Bat.[…]. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.

Etymology

From Middle English stuf, stuffe, borrowed from Medieval Latin stuffa and its etymon Old French estofe, estoffe, estuf, estuffe, stoffe, from estoffer, estofer (“to provide what is necessary, equip, stuff”), borrowed from Old High German stoffōn, from Proto-West Germanic *stoppōn (“to clog up, block, fill”). More at stop.

Synonyms

thingy

This word in other languages

cosas(Español)truc(Français)Sachen(Deutsch)negócio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • sstuff
  • stfuf
  • sttuff
  • stuf
  • sutff
  • tsuff

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of stuff - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

sstuff1stfuf2sttuff1stuf1sutff2tsuff2
Edit distance from "stuff"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "stuff"?
"stuff" is spelled S-T-U-F-F. The IPA pronunciation is /stʌf/.
What does "stuff" mean?
As a noun, "stuff" means: Miscellaneous items or objects; (with possessive) personal effects.
What words are commonly confused with "stuff"?
"stuff" is commonly confused with "surf", "stun", "Sufi". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "stuff"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stuff" is /stʌf/. 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 "stuff"?
From Middle English stuf, stuffe, borrowed from Medieval Latin stuffa and its etymon Old French estofe, estoffe, estuf, estuffe, stoffe, from estoffer, estofer (“to provide what is necessary, equip, stuff”), borrowed from Old High German stoffōn, ... 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 "stuff", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

stand#756round#754David#763drive#764

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

value6 variantsfelt6 variantstried6 variantssent6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "stuff". Here's where to go from here.

  • "stuff" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "surf". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #757 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "S" letter cohort. S–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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