stupendous

/stuˈpɛndəs/

//stuˈpɛndəs// adj

"stupendous" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“stupendous” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #38,184 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#38,184
frequency rank, English
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Astonishingly great or large; huge; enormous.

Key facts for stupendous
PropertyValue
Headwordstupendous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/stuˈpɛndəs/
Letters10
Frequency rank#38,184
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “stupendous” 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). stupendous 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 stupendous is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /stuˈpɛndəs/. Corpus data places it at rank #38,184 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for stupendous, with forms such as "sstupendous", "stpuendous", and "sttupendous". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested from 1547, from Late Latin stupendus (“stunning, amazing”), from the verb stupeō (“(I) am stunned”). Doublet of stupend (which is obsolete), and related to stupor and stupid. The correct English form is stupendous, spelled S-T-U-P-E-N-D-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Astonishingly great or large; huge; enormous.
  2. 2
    Of stunning excellence or degree; marvelous.

Etymology

First attested from 1547, from Late Latin stupendus (“stunning, amazing”), from the verb stupeō (“(I) am stunned”). Doublet of stupend (which is obsolete), and related to stupor and stupid.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: sstupendous,stpuendous,sttupendous,stuepndous,stupednous,stupenddous,stupendosu,stupendouss,stupenduos,stupenndous,stupenodus,stupnedous,stuppendous,sutpendous,tsupendous

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of stupendous - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

sstupendous1stpuendous2sttupendous1stuepndous2stupednous2stupenddous1stupendosu2stupendouss1
Edit distance from "stupendous"

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 "stupendous"?
"stupendous" is spelled S-T-U-P-E-N-D-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /stuˈpɛndəs/.
What does "stupendous" mean?
As an adjective, "stupendous" means: Astonishingly great or large; huge; enormous.
What are common misspellings of "stupendous"?
Common misspellings include "sstupendous", "stpuendous", "sttupendous", "stuepndous", "stupednous". The correct spelling is "stupendous".
How do you pronounce "stupendous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stupendous" is /stuˈpɛndəs/. 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 "stupendous"?
First attested from 1547, from Late Latin stupendus (“stunning, amazing”), from the verb stupeō (“(I) am stunned”). Doublet of stupend (which is obsolete), and related to stupor and stupid. 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 “stupendous”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-T-U-P-E-N-D-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /stuˈpɛndəs/ (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
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