subaltern

/ˈsʌb.əltən/

//ˈsʌb.əltən// adj

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

"subaltern" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“subaltern” is uncommon English (frequency #73,668 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#73,668
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of a lower rank or position; inferior or secondary; especially (military) ranking as a junior officer, below the rank of captain.

Key facts for subaltern
PropertyValue
Headwordsubaltern
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsʌb.əltən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#73,668
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “subaltern” 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). subaltern lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

subaltern is uncommon English at frequency #73,668 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈsʌb.əltən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for subaltern in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French subalterne, from Late Latin subalternus, from Latin sub- + alternus, from alter. The correct English form is subaltern, spelled S-U-B-A-L-T-E-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of a lower rank or position; inferior or secondary; especially (military) ranking as a junior officer, below the rank of captain.
  2. 2
    Asserting only a part of what is asserted in a related proposition.

Etymology

From Middle French subalterne, from Late Latin subalternus, from Latin sub- + alternus, from alter.

This word in other languages

subalterno(Español)subalterne(Français)Subaltern(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 "subaltern"?
"subaltern" is spelled S-U-B-A-L-T-E-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsʌb.əltən/.
What does "subaltern" mean?
As an adjective, "subaltern" means: Of a lower rank or position; inferior or secondary; especially (military) ranking as a junior officer, below the rank of captain.
How do you pronounce "subaltern"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "subaltern" is /ˈsʌb.əltən/. 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 "subaltern"?
From Middle French subalterne, from Late Latin subalternus, from Latin sub- + alternus, from alter. 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 “subaltern”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-U-B-A-L-T-E-R-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsʌb.əltən/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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