# stumble

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈstʌmbəl/ · frequency rank #16,801

## Definitions
1. A fall, trip or substantial misstep.
2. An error or blunder.
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”).

## Easily confused with
- **stumbled** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stumble-vs-stumbled)
- **stable** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stable-vs-stumble)
- **stubble** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stubble-vs-stumble)

## Common misspellings (11)
`sstumble`, `stmuble`, `sttumble`, `stubmle`, `stumbble`, `stumbel`, `stumblle`, `stumlbe`, `stummble`, `sutmble`, `tsumble`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/stumble