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supplement

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

10 characters

Language

English

word origin

Source

Wiktionary

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "supplement", 10-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "supplement" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "supplement" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

supplement is aEnglishnoun. It means: Something added; especially, such an addition added to make up for a deficiency. Pronounced /ˈsʌp.lɪ.mənt/. It ranks #6,842 in English word frequency. Often confused with supplemental.

Key facts for supplement
PropertyValue
Headwordsupplement
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsʌp.lɪ.mənt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#6,842
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency rank visualization

Position of supplement in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for supplement is 10 letters long, classified as anoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsʌp.lɪ.mənt/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,842 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text.Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 14 documented wrong-spelling variants for supplement, with forms such as "spuplement", "ssupplement", and "suplement". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "supplemental", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin supplementum (“that which is added to supply a shortage”), from supplere (“to provide something”). Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is supplement, spelled S-U-P-P-L-E-M-E-N-T, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    Something added; especially, such an addition added to make up for a deficiency.
  2. 2
    An extension to a document or publication that adds information, corrects errors, or brings up to date.
  3. 3
    An additional section of a newspaper devoted to a specific subject; an additional section of a journal issue, or an additional issue, for a similar purpose.
  4. 4
    An angle that, when added to a given angle, makes 180°; a supplementary angle.
  5. 5
    A vitamin, herbal extract, or chemical compound ingested to meet dietary deficiencies or enhance muscular development; the dosage form that conveys or embodies it (e.g., tablet, capsule, pill, powder, beverage).
  6. 6
    A surcharge, additional cost, especially for food in a restaurant.
  7. 7
    An adjunct that is nonessential, especially a supplementary relative clause.

Etymology

From Latin supplementum (“that which is added to supply a shortage”), from supplere (“to provide something”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: spuplement,ssupplement,suplement,suplpement,suppelment,suppleemnt,supplemennt,supplementt,supplemetn,supplemment,supplemnet,suppllement,supplmeent,uspplement

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for supplement

Misspelling Variants of "supplement"

spuplement10ssupplement11suplement9suplpement10suppelment10suppleemnt10supplemennt11supplementt11
Misspelling Variants of "supplement"

Frequency rank: #6,842 in English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "supplement"?
"supplement" is spelled S-U-P-P-L-E-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsʌp.lɪ.mənt/.
What does "supplement" mean?
As a noun, "supplement" means: Something added; especially, such an addition added to make up for a deficiency.
What words are commonly confused with "supplement"?
"supplement" is commonly confused with "supplemental". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "supplement"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "supplement" is /ˈsʌp.lɪ.mənt/. 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 "supplement"?
From Latin supplementum (“that which is added to supply a shortage”), from supplere (“to provide something”). 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.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter S in our English index:

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.