upstanding

/ʌpˈstændɪŋ/

//ʌpˈstændɪŋ// adj

"upstanding" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“upstanding” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #38,671 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#38,671
frequency rank, English
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Honest; reputable; respectable.

Key facts for upstanding
PropertyValue
Headwordupstanding
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ʌpˈstændɪŋ/
Letters10
Frequency rank#38,671
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “upstanding” 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). upstanding 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 upstanding is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ʌpˈstændɪŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #38,671 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Honest; reputable; respectable.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for upstanding, with forms such as "pustanding", "uppstanding", and "upsatnding". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From up- + standing. The correct English form is upstanding, spelled U-P-S-T-A-N-D-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Honest; reputable; respectable.

Etymology

From up- + standing.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: pustanding,uppstanding,upsatnding,upsstanding,upstadning,upstandding,upstandign,upstandingg,upstandinng,upstandnig,upstanidng,upstannding,upstnading,upsttanding,uptsanding,usptanding

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

pustanding2uppstanding1upsatnding2upsstanding1upstadning2upstandding1upstandign2upstandingg1
Edit distance from "upstanding"

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 "upstanding"?
"upstanding" is spelled U-P-S-T-A-N-D-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌpˈstændɪŋ/.
What does "upstanding" mean?
As an adjective, "upstanding" means: Honest; reputable; respectable.
What are common misspellings of "upstanding"?
Common misspellings include "pustanding", "uppstanding", "upsatnding", "upsstanding", "upstadning". The correct spelling is "upstanding".
How do you pronounce "upstanding"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "upstanding" is /ʌpˈstændɪŋ/. 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 "upstanding"?
From up- + standing. 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 “upstanding”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is U-P-S-T-A-N-D-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ʌpˈstændɪŋ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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