sunset

/ˈsʌnˌsɛt/

//ˈsʌnˌsɛt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“sunset” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,745. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,745
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The moment each evening when the sun disappears below the western horizon.

Corpus desk

Index EN-sunset · sunset · English

sunset · rank #6,745 · 9 variants · 9 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,745
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 9 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH strings

Nearest frequency peer: strings (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “sunset”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “sunset” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

sunset vs Sussex
50% similar
sunset vs suns
67% similar
sunset vs sense
67% similar

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

Key facts for sunset
PropertyValue
Headwordsunset
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsʌnˌsɛt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,745
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sunset”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).sunsetlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “strings” (#6,744), “Taiwan” (#6,746), “strengthen” (#6,743). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sunset” is #6,745. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around sunset (IPA /ˈsʌnˌsɛt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,745 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for sunset, with forms such as "snuset", "ssunset", and "sunest". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "Sussex", "suns", "sense", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English son-sett, Sonne set, equivalent to sun + set. In Gower's Confessio Amantis, before 1393. The correct English form is sunset, spelled S-U-N-S-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The moment each evening when the sun disappears below the western horizon.
  2. 2
    The changes in color of the sky before and after sunset.
  3. 3
    The final period of the life of a person or thing.
  4. 4
    A set termination date.
  5. 5
    The region where the sun sets; the west.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how sunset appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. ’Twas sunset: when the sun will part There comes a sullenness of heart To him who still would look upon The glory of the summer sun.
  2. one's sunset years

Etymology

From Middle English son-sett, Sonne set, equivalent to sun + set. In Gower's Confessio Amantis, before 1393.

Synonyms

dusksundownnightfalltwilightduskendfinal actswansonglastterminal

Antonyms

sunrise

This word in other languages

ocaso(Español)coucher de soleil(Français)Sonnenuntergang(Deutsch)crepúsculo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • snuset
  • ssunset
  • sunest
  • sunnset
  • sunsett
  • sunsset
  • sunste
  • susnet
  • usnset

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sunset - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

snuset2ssunset1sunest2sunnset1sunsett1sunsset1sunste2susnet2
Edit distance from "sunset"

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 "sunset"?
"sunset" is spelled S-U-N-S-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsʌnˌsɛt/.
What does "sunset" mean?
As a noun, "sunset" means: The moment each evening when the sun disappears below the western horizon.
What words are commonly confused with "sunset"?
"sunset" is commonly confused with "Sussex", "suns", "sense". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sunset"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sunset" is /ˈsʌnˌsɛt/. 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 "sunset"?
From Middle English son-sett, Sonne set, equivalent to sun + set. In Gower's Confessio Amantis, before 1393. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "sunset", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Taiwan#6,746trades#6,750sketch#6,738shitty#6,735

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

yelling9 variantsshallow9 variantsArctic9 variantschapel9 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list