superstitious

/ˌs(j)uː.pəˈstɪ.ʃəs/

//ˌs(j)uː.pəˈstɪ.ʃəs// adj

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

"superstitious" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“superstitious” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,332. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,332
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
19
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Susceptible to superstitions.

Corpus desk

Index EN-superstitious · superstitious · English

superstitious · rank #24,332 · 19 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #24,332
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 19 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH supergirl

Nearest frequency peer: supergirl (-2 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 “superstitious”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “superstitious” 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).

superstitious vs superstition
85% similar

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

Key facts for superstitious
PropertyValue
Headwordsuperstitious
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌs(j)uː.pəˈstɪ.ʃəs/
Letters13
Frequency rank#24,332
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “superstitious”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).superstitiouslands 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 “supergirl” (#24,330), “stylistic” (#24,329), “tay” (#24,335). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “superstitious” is #24,332. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 19 spelling variants around superstitious (IPA /ˌs(j)uː.pəˈstɪ.ʃəs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #24,332 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for superstitious, with forms such as "spuerstitious", "ssuperstitious", and "sueprstitious". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "superstition", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French superstitieux, from Latin superstitiōsus, from superstitio + -ōsus. The correct English form is superstitious, spelled S-U-P-E-R-S-T-I-T-I-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Susceptible to superstitions.
  2. 2
    Arising from or having the character of superstitions.
  3. 3
    Overexact; unnecessarily scrupulous.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Ignorant and ſuperſtitious wretches meaſure the actions of letterd and philoſophical men by the tattle of their nurſes or illiterate parents and companions, or by the faſhion of the country : and people of differing religions judge and condemn each other by their own tenents ; when both of them cannot be in the right, and it is well if either of them are.

Etymology

From Old French superstitieux, from Latin superstitiōsus, from superstitio + -ōsus.

Synonyms

freety

This word in other languages

supersticioso(Español)superstitieux(Français)abergläubisch(Deutsch)supersticioso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • spuerstitious
  • ssuperstitious
  • sueprstitious
  • superrstitious
  • supersittious
  • supersstitious
  • superstiitous
  • superstitiosu
  • superstitiouss
  • superstitiuos
  • superstitoius
  • superstittious
  • supersttiious
  • supersttitious
  • supertsitious
  • supesrtitious
  • supperstitious
  • suprestitious
  • usperstitious

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

spuerstitious2ssuperstitious1sueprstitious2superrstitious1supersittious2supersstitious1superstiitous2superstitiosu2
Edit distance from "superstitious"

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 "superstitious"?
"superstitious" is spelled S-U-P-E-R-S-T-I-T-I-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌs(j)uː.pəˈstɪ.ʃəs/.
What does "superstitious" mean?
As an adjective, "superstitious" means: Susceptible to superstitions.
What words are commonly confused with "superstitious"?
"superstitious" is commonly confused with "superstition". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "superstitious"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "superstitious" is /ˌs(j)uː.pəˈstɪ.ʃəs/. 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 "superstitious"?
From Old French superstitieux, from Latin superstitiōsus, from superstitio + -ōsus. 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 "superstitious", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

observational#24,258choreographer#24,407extermination#24,441jurisprudence#24,213

Similar misspelling depth

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

unsuspecting19 variantsinstantaneous19 variantsinexplicable19 variantsconductivity19 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list