superstition

/ˌs(j)uː.pə(ɹ)ˈstɪ.ʃən/

//ˌs(j)uː.pə(ɹ)ˈstɪ.ʃən// noun

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

"superstition" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“superstition” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,236. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,236
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
19
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A belief considered to be irrational, unfounded, or based solely on fear and ignorance, particularly credulous reverence towards and belief in supernatural forces.

Corpus desk

Index EN-superstition · superstition · English

superstition · rank #22,236 · 19 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #22,236
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 19 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH suitability

Nearest frequency peer: suitability (-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 “superstition”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “superstition” 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).

superstition vs superstitious
85% similar

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

Key facts for superstition
PropertyValue
Headwordsuperstition
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌs(j)uː.pə(ɹ)ˈstɪ.ʃən/
Letters12
Frequency rank#22,236
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “superstition”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).superstitionlands 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 “suitability” (#22,235), “suggestive” (#22,234), “Swanson” (#22,239). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “superstition” is #22,236. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 19 spelling variants around superstition (IPA /ˌs(j)uː.pə(ɹ)ˈstɪ.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #22,236 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for superstition, with forms such as "spuerstition", "ssuperstition", and "sueprstition". 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, "superstitious", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French superstition, from Latin superstitio (“superstition”), from superstāre (“to stand above, to stand upon, to survive”) + -tiō (“-tion: forming nouns”), from super- (“above, over, upon”) + stāre (“to stand”). The correct English form is superstition, spelled S-U-P-E-R-S-T-I-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A belief considered to be irrational, unfounded, or based solely on fear and ignorance, particularly credulous reverence towards and belief in supernatural forces.
  2. 2
    Excessive nicety; overscrupulousness.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. What children we are in trifles! what slight things exercise an influence over us! to how much that our reason would be ashamed to acknowledge! nevertheless does it submit. Our whole nature must change; we must be less susceptible, less dependent on "blind accident," before we can shake off hopes and fears, which are almost superstitions.
  2. The world is not merely the sum of all its atoms... There are no atoms in themselves. Atoms regarded as things in themselves are a scientific superstition.

Etymology

From Middle French superstition, from Latin superstitio (“superstition”), from superstāre (“to stand above, to stand upon, to survive”) + -tiō (“-tion: forming nouns”), from super- (“above, over, upon”) + stāre (“to stand”).

This word in other languages

superstición(Español)superstition(Français)Aberglaube(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • spuerstition
  • ssuperstition
  • sueprstition
  • superrstition
  • supersittion
  • supersstition
  • superstiiton
  • superstision
  • superstitino
  • superstitionn
  • superstitoin
  • superstittion
  • supersttiion
  • supersttition
  • supertsition
  • supesrtition
  • supperstition
  • suprestition
  • usperstition

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

spuerstition2ssuperstition1sueprstition2superrstition1supersittion2supersstition1superstiiton2superstision1
Edit distance from "superstition"

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 "superstition"?
"superstition" is spelled S-U-P-E-R-S-T-I-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌs(j)uː.pə(ɹ)ˈstɪ.ʃən/.
What does "superstition" mean?
As a noun, "superstition" means: A belief considered to be irrational, unfounded, or based solely on fear and ignorance, particularly credulous reverence towards and belief in supernatural forces.
What words are commonly confused with "superstition"?
"superstition" is commonly confused with "superstitious". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "superstition"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "superstition" is /ˌs(j)uː.pə(ɹ)ˈstɪ.ʃən/. 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 "superstition"?
From Middle French superstition, from Latin superstitio (“superstition”), from superstāre (“to stand above, to stand upon, to survive”) + -tiō (“-tion: forming nouns”), from super- (“above, over, upon”) + stāre (“to stand”). 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 "superstition", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

totalitarian#22,249relentlessly#22,197preferential#22,178nomenclature#22,161

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (19 here; floor ≥5).

individuality19 variantscircumcision19 variantsmetaphysical19 variantsphilharmonic19 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list