subtype
"subtype" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“subtype” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #36,767 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #36,767
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 11
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A group of specific things within a larger, more general group.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | subtype |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #36,767 |
| Misspellings tracked | 11 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “subtype” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for subtype is 7 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #36,767 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 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for subtype, with forms such as "sbutype", "ssubtype", and "subbtype". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "subtle", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From sub- + type. The correct English form is subtype, spelled S-U-B-T-Y-P-E.
Definition
- 1A group of specific things within a larger, more general group.
- 2The data type represented by a subclass.
Etymology
From sub- + type.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: sbutype,ssubtype,subbtype,subtpye,subttype,subtyep,subtyppe,subtyype,subytpe,sutbype,usbtype
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of subtype - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "subtype"?
What does "subtype" mean?
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Using “subtype”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-U-B-T-Y-P-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Don't mix it up with “subtle” - see the side-by-side comparison. subtype vs subtle
- 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.