sweeper

/ˈswipɚ/

//ˈswipɚ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“sweeper” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #33,441 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#33,441
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who sweeps.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

sweeper vs sweeps
71% similar
sweeper vs sweeten
71% similar
sweeper vs sweep
71% similar

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

Key facts for sweeper
PropertyValue
Headwordsweeper
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈswipɚ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#33,441
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sweeper” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). sweeper lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for sweeper is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈswipɚ/. Corpus data places it at rank #33,441 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for sweeper, with forms such as "seweper", "ssweeper", and "sweeepr". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "sweeps", "sweeten", "sweep", 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 swepere, swepare, equivalent to sweep + -er. Cognate with Middle Low German swēpære, swēper (“broom for sweeping up debris”). The correct English form is sweeper, spelled S-W-E-E-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who sweeps.
  2. 2
    One who sweeps floors or chimneys.
  3. 3
    A detector for mines.
  4. 4
    Any of the small, tropical marine perciform fishes of the family Pempheridae, typically with deeply keeled, compressed bodies and large eyes.
  5. 5
    A defender who is the last line of defence before the goalkeeper.
  6. 6
    A person who sweeps the ice ahead of the rock in play.
  7. 7
    A batsman who plays sweep shots.
  8. 8
    A fielding position along the boundary; a fielder in this position.
  9. 9
    A tree that has fallen over a river with branches extending into the water.
  10. 10
    A carpet sweeper.
  11. 11
    A vacuum cleaner.
  12. 12
    A group of students tasked at cleaning the homeroom after class dismissal.
  13. 13
    The last person in the line of hikers that is responsible for ensuring no one gets separated from the group.
  14. 14
    A character designed or capable of knocking out multiple enemies in succession, usually due to a combination of high offense and high speed.
  15. 15
    A large-radius, or high/medium speed corner in a racing circuit, named as such because of the ability of someone to trace the corner profile via "sweeping" motion of the arm.

Etymology

From Middle English swepere, swepare, equivalent to sweep + -er. Cognate with Middle Low German swēpære, swēper (“broom for sweeping up debris”).

This word in other languages

barrendero(Español)balayeur(Français)Raumpfleger(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: seweper,ssweeper,sweeepr,sweeperr,sweepper,sweepre,swepeer,sweper,swweeper,wseeper

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

seweper2ssweeper1sweeepr2sweeperr1sweepper1sweepre2swepeer2sweper1
Edit distance from "sweeper"

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 "sweeper"?
"sweeper" is spelled S-W-E-E-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈswipɚ/.
What does "sweeper" mean?
As a noun, "sweeper" means: One who sweeps.
What words are commonly confused with "sweeper"?
"sweeper" is commonly confused with "sweeps", "sweeten", "sweep". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sweeper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sweeper" is /ˈswipɚ/. 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 "sweeper"?
From Middle English swepere, swepare, equivalent to sweep + -er. Cognate with Middle Low German swēpære, swēper (“broom for sweeping up debris”). 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.

Using “sweeper”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-W-E-E-P-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈswipɚ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “sweeps” - see the side-by-side comparison. sweeper vs sweeps
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list