superintendent

/ˌsjuːpəɹɪnˈtɛndənt/

//ˌsjuːpəɹɪnˈtɛndənt// noun

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

"superintendent" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“superintendent” has 22 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,505. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,505
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
22
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-superintendent · superintendent · English

superintendent · rank #7,505 · 22 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,505
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 22 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH succession

Nearest frequency peer: succession (-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 “superintendent”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “superintendent” 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
Key facts for superintendent
PropertyValue
Headwordsuperintendent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌsjuːpəɹɪnˈtɛndənt/
Letters14
Frequency rank#7,505
Misspellings tracked22
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “superintendent”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “succession” (#7,504), “suspicion” (#7,506), “steak” (#7,503). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “superintendent” is #7,505. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 22 spelling variants around superintendent (IPA /ˌsjuːpəɹɪnˈtɛndənt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #7,505 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 22 likely wrong-spelling variants for superintendent, with forms such as "spuerintendent", "ssuperintendent", and "sueprintendent". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ecclesiastical Latin superintendens, a calque of Ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος (epískopos); thence being distantly related to English bishop. The correct English form is superintendent, spelled S-U-P-E-R-I-N-T-E-N-D-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something.
  2. 2
    A police officer rank, positioned above chief inspector, and below chief superintendent.
  3. 3
    The manager of a building, usually a communal residence, who is responsible for keeping the facilities functional and often collecting rent or similar payments, either as also the building's landlord or on behalf of same.
  4. 4
    The head of a Sunday school.
  5. 5
    In some Protestant churches, a clergyman having the oversight of the clergy of a district.
  6. 6
    A janitor.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. “No, don't,” replied the superintendent; “in fact, I'd rather you made yourself conspicuous elsewhere. Go down to the landing stage and cross to New Brighton or Wallasey—doesn't matter which—and come back. No doubt you will be seen, and reported to have gone across.”

Etymology

From Ecclesiastical Latin superintendens, a calque of Ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος (epískopos); thence being distantly related to English bishop.

Synonyms

managerforemanchiefheadhead mancontrollercomptrolleroverseersupervisor

This word in other languages

superintendente(Español)surintendant(Français)Leiter(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • spuerintendent
  • ssuperintendent
  • sueprintendent
  • supeirntendent
  • superinetndent
  • superinntendent
  • superintednent
  • superintenddent
  • superintendennt
  • superintendentt
  • superintendetn
  • superintendnet
  • superintenednt
  • superintenndent
  • superintnedent
  • superinttendent
  • superitnendent
  • supernitendent
  • superrintendent
  • supperintendent
  • supreintendent
  • usperintendent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of superintendent - 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.

spuerintendent2ssuperintendent1sueprintendent2supeirntendent2superinetndent2superinntendent1superintednent2superintenddent1
Edit distance from "superintendent"

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 "superintendent"?
"superintendent" is spelled S-U-P-E-R-I-N-T-E-N-D-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌsjuːpəɹɪnˈtɛndənt/.
What does "superintendent" mean?
As a noun, "superintendent" means: A person who is authorized to supervise, direct or administer something.
What are common misspellings of "superintendent"?
Common misspellings include "spuerintendent", "ssuperintendent", "sueprintendent", "supeirntendent", "superinetndent". The correct spelling is "superintendent".
How do you pronounce "superintendent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "superintendent" is /ˌsjuːpəɹɪnˈtɛndənt/. 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 "superintendent"?
From Ecclesiastical Latin superintendens, a calque of Ancient Greek ἐπίσκοπος (epískopos); thence being distantly related to English bishop. 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 "superintendent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 14 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

characteristic#7,428reconstruction#7,602rehabilitation#7,274disappointment#7,007

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (22 here; floor ≥5).

strengthening22 variantsdemonstrations22 variantsinterpretation22 variantsimplementation22 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list