suppress

/səˈpɹɛs/

//səˈpɹɛs// verb

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

"suppress" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“suppress” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,981. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,981
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To put an end to, especially with force, to crush, do away with; to prohibit, subdue.

Corpus desk

Index EN-suppress · suppress · English

suppress · rank #11,981 · 9 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,981
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH stupidity

Nearest frequency peer: stupidity (-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 “suppress”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “suppress” 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).

suppress vs suppressed
80% similar
suppress vs suppressor
80% similar

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

Key facts for suppress
PropertyValue
Headwordsuppress
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/səˈpɹɛs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#11,981
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “suppress”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).suppresslands 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 “stupidity” (#11,980), “sweating” (#11,982), “stumbled” (#11,979). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “suppress” is #11,981. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around suppress (IPA /səˈpɹɛs/), averb. Corpus frequency is #11,981 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for suppress, with forms such as "spupress", "ssuppress", and "supperss". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "suppressed", "suppressor", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin suppressus, perfect passive participle of supprimō (“press down or under”), from sub (“under”) + premō (“press”). The correct English form is suppress, spelled S-U-P-P-R-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    To put an end to, especially with force, to crush, do away with; to prohibit, subdue.
  2. 2
    To restrain or repress, such as laughter or an expression.
  3. 3
    To exclude undesirable thoughts from one's mind.
  4. 4
    To prevent publication.
  5. 5
    To stop a flow or stream.
  6. 6
    To forbid the use of evidence at trial because it is improper or was improperly obtained.
  7. 7
    To reduce unwanted frequencies in a signal.
  8. 8
    To stop or prevent the enemy from executing unwanted activities like firing, regrouping, observation or others.
  9. 9
    To hold in place, to keep low.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Political dissent was brutally suppressed.
  2. I struggled to suppress my smile.

Etymology

From Latin suppressus, perfect passive participle of supprimō (“press down or under”), from sub (“under”) + premō (“press”).

This word in other languages

suprimir(Español)unterdrücken(Deutsch)abafar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • spupress
  • ssuppress
  • supperss
  • suppres
  • supprress
  • supprses
  • supress
  • suprpess
  • usppress

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of suppress - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

spupress2ssuppress1supperss2suppres1supprress1supprses2supress1suprpess2
Edit distance from "suppress"

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 "suppress"?
"suppress" is spelled S-U-P-P-R-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /səˈpɹɛs/.
What does "suppress" mean?
As a verb, "suppress" means: To put an end to, especially with force, to crush, do away with; to prohibit, subdue.
What words are commonly confused with "suppress"?
"suppress" is commonly confused with "suppressed", "suppressor". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "suppress"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "suppress" is /səˈpɹɛs/. 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 "suppress"?
From Latin suppressus, perfect passive participle of supprimō (“press down or under”), from sub (“under”) + premō (“press”). 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 "suppress", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sweating#11,982stumbled#11,979tangible#11,984softball#11,971

Similar misspelling depth

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

Spears9 variantsWarsaw9 variantsshaved9 variantsartery9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list