supine

/ˈs(j)uːpaɪn/

//ˈs(j)uːpaɪn// adj

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

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

The verdict

“supine” is uncommon English (frequency #58,396 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,396
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Lying on its back.

Corpus desk

Index EN-supine · supine · English

supine · rank #58,396 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,396
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Sumer

Nearest frequency peer: Sumer (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “supine”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “supine” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for supine
PropertyValue
Headwordsupine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈs(j)uːpaɪn/
Letters6
Frequency rank#58,396
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “supine” in English

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Sumer” (#58,395), “survivorship” (#58,397), “Suggs” (#58,394). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “supine” is #58,396. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

supine is uncommon English at frequency #58,396 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈs(j)uːpaɪn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for supine in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: The adjective is borrowed from Latin supīnus, from *sup- (see sub (“under”)) + -īnus (“of, pertaining to”). The word is cognate with Catalan supí, Italian supino, Old French sovin, Middle French souvin, Anglo-Norman supin, Old Occitan sobin, sopin, Portugue… The correct English form is supine, spelled S-U-P-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Lying on its back.
  2. 2
    Turned facing toward the body or upward: with the thumb outward (palm up), or with the big toe raised relative to the little toe.
  3. 3
    Reluctant to take action due to indifference or moral weakness; apathetic or passive towards something.
  4. 4
    Inclining or leaning backward; inclined, sloping.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Data, in part previously reported by this laboratory (2, 9), on the effects of mannitol loads in supine subjects, and of saline infusions in both supine and standing subjects, have also been used in the construction of Table III and Figures 1 and 2.
  2. Posterior displacement of the sternum can produce a deformity of the heart, particularly anterior indentation of the right ventricle. [...] The physical work capacity in pectus excavatum at a given heart rate was significantly lower in the sitting than the supine position.

Etymology

The adjective is borrowed from Latin supīnus, from *sup- (see sub (“under”)) + -īnus (“of, pertaining to”). The word is cognate with Catalan supí, Italian supino, Old French sovin, Middle French souvin, Anglo-Norman supin, Old Occitan sobin, sopin, Portuguese supino, Spanish supino. Partly displaced Old English upweard (“upward, supine”), whence Modern English upward. The noun is from Late Middle English supin (“supine of a Latin verb”) or Middle French supin (“(grammar) supine”), from Latin supīnum, (ellipsis of supīnum verbum (“supine verb”)), from supīnus; further etymology above.

Antonyms

nonsupineprone

This word in other languages

supino(Español)supino(Português)

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 "supine"?
"supine" is spelled S-U-P-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈs(j)uːpaɪn/.
What does "supine" mean?
As an adjective, "supine" means: Lying on its back.
How do you pronounce "supine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "supine" is /ˈs(j)uːpaɪn/. 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 "supine"?
The adjective is borrowed from Latin supīnus, from *sup- (see sub (“under”)) + -īnus (“of, pertaining to”). The word is cognate with Catalan supí, Italian supino, Old French sovin, Middle French souvin, Anglo-Norman supin, Old Occitan sobin, sopin... 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 "supine", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

stache#58,385Teigen#58,407squier#58,382squawk#58,381

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list