stumble

/ˈstʌmbəl/

//ˈstʌmbəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“stumble” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,801 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#16,801
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A fall, trip or substantial misstep.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

stumble vs stumbled
88% similar
stumble vs stable
71% similar
stumble vs stubble
86% similar

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

Key facts for stumble
PropertyValue
Headwordstumble
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈstʌmbəl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#16,801
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “stumble” 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). stumble 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 stumble is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈstʌmbəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,801 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for stumble, with forms such as "sstumble", "stmuble", and "sttumble". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "stumbled", "stable", "stubble", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *stam- (“to trip up; to stammer, stutter”), thereby related to German stumm (“mute”), Dutch stom (“dumb”). Doublet of stammer. Also related to verb in Dutch stommelen (“to walk silently”). The correct English form is stumble, spelled S-T-U-M-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A fall, trip or substantial misstep.
  2. 2
    An error or blunder.
  3. 3
    A clumsy walk.

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *stam- (“to trip up; to stammer, stutter”), thereby related to German stumm (“mute”), Dutch stom (“dumb”). Doublet of stammer. Also related to verb in Dutch stommelen (“to walk silently”).

Synonyms

blooperblunderboo-boodefecterrorfaultfaux pasfluffgaffelapsemistakeslipthinko

This word in other languages

tropezón(Español)chute(Français)Stolpern(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: sstumble,stmuble,sttumble,stubmle,stumbble,stumbel,stumblle,stumlbe,stummble,sutmble,tsumble

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of stumble - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

sstumble1stmuble2sttumble1stubmle2stumbble1stumbel2stumblle1stumlbe2
Edit distance from "stumble"

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 "stumble"?
"stumble" is spelled S-T-U-M-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstʌmbəl/.
What does "stumble" mean?
As a noun, "stumble" means: A fall, trip or substantial misstep.
What words are commonly confused with "stumble"?
"stumble" is commonly confused with "stumbled", "stable", "stubble". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "stumble"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stumble" is /ˈstʌmbəl/. 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 "stumble"?
Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *stam- (“to trip up; to stammer, stutter”), thereby related to German stumm (“mute”), Dutch stom (“dumb”). Doublet of stammer. Also related to verb in Dutch stommelen (“to walk silently”). 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 “stumble”

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

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