sulfite

/ˈsʌlfaɪt/

//ˈsʌlfaɪt// noun

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

The verdict

“sulfite” is uncommon English (frequency #75,457 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,457
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any salt of sulfurous acid.

Key facts for sulfite
PropertyValue
Headwordsulfite
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsʌlfaɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#75,457
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sulfite” 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). sulfite 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

sulfite is uncommon English at frequency #75,457 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsʌlfaɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Any salt of sulfurous acid.".

Zero misspellings are on record for sulfite in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From sulfur + -ite (“suffix used for salts of acids ending in -ous”). The correct English form is sulfite, spelled S-U-L-F-I-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any salt of sulfurous acid.

Etymology

From sulfur + -ite (“suffix used for salts of acids ending in -ous”).

This word in other languages

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 "sulfite"?
"sulfite" is spelled S-U-L-F-I-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsʌlfaɪt/.
What does "sulfite" mean?
As a noun, "sulfite" means: Any salt of sulfurous acid.
How do you pronounce "sulfite"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sulfite" is /ˈsʌlfaɪt/. 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 "sulfite"?
From sulfur + -ite (“suffix used for salts of acids ending in -ous”). 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 “sulfite”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-U-L-F-I-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsʌlfaɪt/ (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list