suppose

/səˈpəʊz/

//səˈpəʊz// verb

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

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

The verdict

“suppose” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,703. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,703
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To take for granted; to conclude, with less than absolute supporting data; to believe.

Corpus desk

Index EN-suppose · suppose · English

suppose · rank #2,703 · 8 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,703
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH sleeping

Nearest frequency peer: sleeping (-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 “suppose”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “suppose” 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).

suppose vs supposed
88% similar
suppose vs supple
71% similar
suppose vs support
71% similar

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

Key facts for suppose
PropertyValue
Headwordsuppose
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/səˈpəʊz/
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,703
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “suppose” 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).supposelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “sleeping” (#2,702), “tool” (#2,704), “severe” (#2,701). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around suppose (IPA /səˈpəʊz/), averb. Corpus frequency is #2,703 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for suppose, with forms such as "spupose", "ssuppose", and "supopse". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "supposed", "supple", "support", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English supposen, borrowed from Old French supposer, equivalent to prefix sub- (“under”) + poser (“to place”); corresponding in meaning to Latin supponere (“to put under, to substitute, falsify, counterfeit”), suppositum. See pose. The correct English form is suppose, spelled S-U-P-P-O-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To take for granted; to conclude, with less than absolute supporting data; to believe.
  2. 2
    To theorize or hypothesize.
  3. 3
    To imagine; to believe; to receive as true.
  4. 4
    To reckon to be, to account or esteem as.
  5. 5
    To require to exist or to be true; to imply by the laws of thought or of nature.
  6. 6
    To put by fraud in the place of another; to substitute fraudulently.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I suppose we all agree that this is the best solution.
  2. I won't be back before midday, I don't suppose.

Etymology

From Middle English supposen, borrowed from Old French supposer, equivalent to prefix sub- (“under”) + poser (“to place”); corresponding in meaning to Latin supponere (“to put under, to substitute, falsify, counterfeit”), suppositum. See pose.

Synonyms

assume (1,2)arreadassumefancyconjectconjecturedaresaydopeforeguessgo out on a limbguessguesstimatehunchhypothesizehypotheticateimagineinferoverhopepositpostulatepresumereckonspeculatesupposesurmisesuspecttake a stab attake for grantedtake something as readtheorizeween

This word in other languages

suponer(Español)supposer(Français)annehmen(Deutsch)supor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • spupose
  • ssuppose
  • supopse
  • supose
  • suppoes
  • supposse
  • suppsoe
  • usppose

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

spupose2ssuppose1supopse2supose1suppoes2supposse1suppsoe2usppose2
Edit distance from "suppose"

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 "suppose"?
"suppose" is spelled S-U-P-P-O-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /səˈpəʊz/.
What does "suppose" mean?
As a verb, "suppose" means: To take for granted; to conclude, with less than absolute supporting data; to believe.
What words are commonly confused with "suppose"?
"suppose" is commonly confused with "supposed", "supple", "support". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "suppose"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "suppose" is /səˈpəʊz/. 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 "suppose"?
From Middle English supposen, borrowed from Old French supposer, equivalent to prefix sub- (“under”) + poser (“to place”); corresponding in meaning to Latin supponere (“to put under, to substitute, falsify, counterfeit”), suppositum. See pose. 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 "suppose", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

promote#2,697victims#2,709premier#2,696pattern#2,691

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

severe8 variantsAmazon8 variantscrash8 variantsdepth8 variants

What to do next

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

  • "suppose" maps to 4 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "supposed". View pair
  • 8 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #2,703 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