wastepaper

/ˈweɪstˌpeɪpɚ/

//ˈweɪstˌpeɪpɚ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“wastepaper” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Unwanted paper that has been discarded.

Key facts for wastepaper
PropertyValue
Headwordwastepaper
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈweɪstˌpeɪpɚ/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wastepaper” sits in English frequency

wastepaper falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

wastepaper is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈweɪstˌpeɪpɚ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Unwanted paper that has been discarded.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for wastepaper, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From waste + paper. The correct English form is wastepaper, spelled W-A-S-T-E-P-A-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Unwanted paper that has been discarded.

Etymology

From waste + paper.

This word in other languages

papelote(Español)maculature(Français)Altpapier(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "wastepaper"?
"wastepaper" is spelled W-A-S-T-E-P-A-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈweɪstˌpeɪpɚ/.
What does "wastepaper" mean?
As a noun, "wastepaper" means: Unwanted paper that has been discarded.
How do you pronounce "wastepaper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wastepaper" is /ˈweɪstˌpeɪpɚ/. 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 "wastepaper"?
From waste + paper. 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 “wastepaper”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-A-S-T-E-P-A-P-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈweɪstˌpeɪpɚ/ (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