supplementary

adj

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

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

The verdict

“supplementary” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,199. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,199
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
19
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Additional; added to supply what is wanted.

Corpus desk

Index EN-supplementary · supplementary · English

supplementary · rank #18,199 · 19 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #18,199
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 19 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sunflower

Nearest frequency peer: sunflower (-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 “supplementary”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “supplementary” 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).

supplementary vs supplemental
85% similar

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

Key facts for supplementary
PropertyValue
Headwordsupplementary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters13
Frequency rank#18,199
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “supplementary”

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).supplementarylands 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 “sunflower” (#18,198), “surveyor” (#18,200), “suction” (#18,197). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “supplementary” is #18,199. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 19 spelling variants around supplementary, anadjective. Corpus frequency is #18,199 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Additional; added to supply what is wanted.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for supplementary, with forms such as "spuplementary", "ssupplementary", and "suplementary". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. 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 supplement + -ary; compare French supplémentaire. The correct English form is supplementary, spelled S-U-P-P-L-E-M-E-N-T-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Additional; added to supply what is wanted.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Thus, leucine is already being seen as a pharmaconutrient of great relevance for the supplementary feeding of malnourished and frail elderly and for specific subpopulations.

Etymology

From supplement + -ary; compare French supplémentaire.

This word in other languages

suplementario(Español)supplémentaire(Français)zusätzlich(Deutsch)suplementar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • spuplementary
  • ssupplementary
  • suplementary
  • suplpementary
  • suppelmentary
  • suppleemntary
  • supplemenatry
  • supplemenntary
  • supplementarry
  • supplementaryy
  • supplementayr
  • supplementray
  • supplementtary
  • supplemetnary
  • supplemmentary
  • supplemnetary
  • suppllementary
  • supplmeentary
  • uspplementary

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

spuplementary2ssupplementary1suplementary1suplpementary2suppelmentary2suppleemntary2supplemenatry2supplemenntary1
Edit distance from "supplementary"

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 "supplementary"?
"supplementary" is spelled S-U-P-P-L-E-M-E-N-T-A-R-Y.
What does "supplementary" mean?
As an adjective, "supplementary" means: Additional; added to supply what is wanted.
What words are commonly confused with "supplementary"?
"supplementary" is commonly confused with "supplemental". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What is the origin of the word "supplementary"?
From supplement + -ary; compare French supplémentaire. 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 "supplementary", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

modernization#18,137complimentary#18,273cybersecurity#18,287incarceration#18,107

Similar misspelling depth

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

biochemistry19 variantsappropriations19 variantsconstellation19 variantsMiddlesbrough19 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list