supplement

/ˈsʌp.lɪ.mənt/

//ˈsʌp.lɪ.mənt// noun

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

"supplement" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“supplement” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,842. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,842
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Something added; especially, such an addition added to make up for a deficiency.

Corpus desk

Index EN-supplement · supplement · English

supplement · rank #6,842 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,842
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH suited

Nearest frequency peer: suited (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “supplement”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “supplement” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

supplement vs supplemental
83% similar

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

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)

Where “supplement” sits in English frequency

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).supplementlands 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 “suited” (#6,841), “thereby” (#6,844), “SP” (#6,839). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around supplement (IPA /ˈsʌp.lɪ.mənt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,842 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for supplement, with forms such as "spuplement", "ssupplement", and "suplement". 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, "supplemental", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin supplementum (“that which is added to supply a shortage”), from supplere (“to provide something”). The correct English form is supplement, spelled S-U-P-P-L-E-M-E-N-T.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Near-synonyms: see Thesaurus:adjunct
  2. Athletes' use of herbal supplements has skyrocketed in the past two decades. At the top of the list of popular herbs are echinacea and ginseng, whereas garlic, St. John's wort, soybean, ephedra and others are also surging in popularity or have been historically prevalent.

Etymology

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

This word in other languages

suplemento(Español)supplément(Français)Ergänzung(Deutsch)suplemento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • spuplement
  • ssupplement
  • suplement
  • suplpement
  • suppelment
  • suppleemnt
  • supplemennt
  • supplementt
  • supplemetn
  • supplemment
  • supplemnet
  • suppllement
  • supplmeent
  • uspplement

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

spuplement2ssupplement1suplement1suplpement2suppelment2suppleemnt2supplemennt1supplementt1
Edit distance from "supplement"

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 "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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "supplement", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

reasonably#6,828profitable#6,824Portuguese#6,823navigation#6,814

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

sentiment14 variantsprovinces14 variantsalgorithm14 variantsparagraph14 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "supplement". Here's where to go from here.

  • This headword has one recorded confusable pair with "supplemental". View pair
  • 14 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #6,842 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "S" letter cohort. S–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list