sultan

/ˈsʌltən/

//ˈsʌltən// noun

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

"sultan" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sultan” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,336 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,336
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The holder of a secular office, formally subordinate to, but de facto the power behind the throne of, the caliph.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

sultan vs Susan
50% similar
sultan vs Sutton
50% similar
sultan vs sultry
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for sultan
PropertyValue
Headwordsultan
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsʌltən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#12,336
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sultan” 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). sultan 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 sultan is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsʌltən/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,336 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for sultan, with forms such as "slutan", "ssultan", and "sulatn". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "Susan", "Sutton", "sultry", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French sultan or Medieval Latin sultanus, from Ottoman Turkish سلطان (sultan), from Arabic سُلْطَان (sulṭān, “strength, authority, ruler”). Compare Hebrew שִׁלְטוֹן (shiltón) and סוּלְטָן (sultán). Doublet of soldan. The correct English form is sultan, spelled S-U-L-T-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The holder of a secular office, formally subordinate to, but de facto the power behind the throne of, the caliph.
  2. 2
    A hereditary ruler in various Muslim states (sultanate), varying from petty principalities (as in Yemen), often vassal of a greater ruler, to independent realms, such as Oman, Brunei, Morocco (until 1957) or an empire such as the Turkish Ottoman Empire.
  3. 3
    A variant of solitaire, played with two decks of cards.
  4. 4
    A breed of chicken originating in Turkey, kept primarily in gardens for ornamental reasons. See: sultan (chicken)

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French sultan or Medieval Latin sultanus, from Ottoman Turkish سلطان (sultan), from Arabic سُلْطَان (sulṭān, “strength, authority, ruler”). Compare Hebrew שִׁלְטוֹן (shiltón) and סוּלְטָן (sultán). Doublet of soldan.

This word in other languages

sultán(Español)sultan(Français)Sultan(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: slutan,ssultan,sulatn,sulltan,sultann,sultna,sulttan,sutlan,usltan

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

slutan2ssultan1sulatn2sulltan1sultann1sultna2sulttan1sutlan2
Edit distance from "sultan"

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 "sultan"?
"sultan" is spelled S-U-L-T-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsʌltən/.
What does "sultan" mean?
As a noun, "sultan" means: The holder of a secular office, formally subordinate to, but de facto the power behind the throne of, the caliph.
What words are commonly confused with "sultan"?
"sultan" is commonly confused with "Susan", "Sutton", "sultry". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sultan"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sultan" is /ˈsʌltən/. 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 "sultan"?
Borrowed from Middle French sultan or Medieval Latin sultanus, from Ottoman Turkish سلطان (sultan), from Arabic سُلْطَان (sulṭān, “strength, authority, ruler”). Compare Hebrew שִׁלְטוֹן (shiltón) and סוּלְטָן (sultán). Doublet of soldan. 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 “sultan”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-U-L-T-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsʌltən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Susan” - see the side-by-side comparison. sultan vs Susan
  • 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