# transistor

> English word · Noun · IPA /tɹænˈzɪs.tɚ/ · frequency rank #22,251

## Definitions
1. A solid-state semiconductor device, with three terminals, which can be used for amplification, switching, voltage stabilization, signal modulation, and many other functions.
2. A transistor radio.

## Etymology
Blend of transfer + resistor. Said to have been coined by American engineer John Robinson Pierce in 1947, who used transresistance as the basis for forming transistor.

## Easily confused with
- **translator** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/transistor-vs-translator)
- **transitory** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/transistor-vs-transitory)

## Common misspellings (16)
`rtansistor`, `tarnsistor`, `tranisstor`, `trannsistor`, `transisotr`, `transisstor`, `transistorr`, `transistro`, `transisttor`, `transitsor`, `transsistor`, `transsitor`, `trasnistor`, `trnasistor`, `trransistor`, `ttransistor`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/transistor