support

/səˈpɔːt/

//səˈpɔːt// verb

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

"support" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“support” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #276. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#276
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To help keep from falling.

Corpus desk

Index EN-support · support · English

support · rank #276 · 9 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #276
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH once

Nearest frequency peer: once (-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 “support”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “support” 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).

support vs suppose
71% similar
support vs supported
78% similar
support vs supporter
78% similar

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

Key facts for support
PropertyValue
Headwordsupport
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/səˈpɔːt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#276
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “support”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).supportlands 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 “once” (#275), “tell” (#277), “mean” (#274). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “support” is #276. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around support (IPA /səˈpɔːt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #276 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for support, with forms such as "spuport", "ssupport", and "supoprt". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "suppose", "supported", "supporter", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English supporten, from Old French supporter, from Latin supportō. The correct English form is support, spelled S-U-P-P-O-R-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To help keep from falling.
  2. 2
    To back or favor a cause, party, etc., mentally or with concrete aid
  3. 3
    To provide sustenance or maintenance for; to sustain in integrity or livelihood.
  4. 4
    To help, particularly financially; to subsidize.
  5. 5
    To provide evidence for; to lend credibility to.
  6. 6
    To serve, as in a customer-oriented position; to give support to.
  7. 7
    To assist or be involved with, but not be responsible for.
  8. 8
    To answer questions and resolve problems regarding something sold.
  9. 9
    To be designed to provide capacity for; to work or be compatible with (a part, accessory, file type, program, algorithm, etc.).
  10. 10
    To endure without being overcome; bear; undergo; tolerate.
  11. 11
    To play a lesser part in the same production with (a star performer).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Don’t move that beam! It supports the whole platform.
  2. He staggered away from the accident site, supported by one friend on each side.

Etymology

From Middle English supporten, from Old French supporter, from Latin supportō.

This word in other languages

apoyar(Español)soutenir(Français)unterstützen(Deutsch)apoiar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • spuport
  • ssupport
  • supoprt
  • suport
  • supporrt
  • supportt
  • suppotr
  • supprot
  • uspport

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

spuport2ssupport1supoprt2suport1supporrt1supportt1suppotr2supprot2
Edit distance from "support"

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 "support"?
"support" is spelled S-U-P-P-O-R-T. The IPA pronunciation is /səˈpɔːt/.
What does "support" mean?
As a verb, "support" means: To help keep from falling.
What words are commonly confused with "support"?
"support" is commonly confused with "suppose", "supported", "supporter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "support"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "support" is /səˈpɔːt/. 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 "support"?
From Middle English supporten, from Old French supporter, from Latin supportō. 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 "support", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

doesn't#271there's#267believe#286nothing#256

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

states9 variantsmaking9 variantschange9 variantsperson9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list