withstand

/wɪðˈstænd/

//wɪðˈstænd// verb

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

"withstand" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“withstand” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,170. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,170
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To resist or endure (something) successfully.

Corpus desk

Index EN-withstand · withstand · English

withstand · rank #12,170 · 15 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #12,170
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH woodland

Nearest frequency peer: woodland (+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 “withstand”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “withstand” 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).

withstand vs withstood
78% similar

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

Key facts for withstand
PropertyValue
Headwordwithstand
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/wɪðˈstænd/
Letters9
Frequency rank#12,170
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “withstand”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).withstandlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “woodland” (#12,171), “zinc” (#12,172), “vocational” (#12,167). Among 1,759 “W” headwords, “withstand” is #12,170. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around withstand (IPA /wɪðˈstænd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #12,170 among 1,759 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for withstand, with forms such as "iwthstand", "wihtstand", and "withhstand". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "withstood", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English withstanden, from Old English wiþstandan, from Proto-West Germanic *wiþistandan (“to withstand, resist”), equivalent to with- (“against”) + stand. Cognate with Old Frisian withstanda (“to resist”). Compare also Dutch weerstaan (“to withs… The correct English form is withstand, spelled W-I-T-H-S-T-A-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To resist or endure (something) successfully.
  2. 2
    To oppose (something) forcefully.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Tests showed that a tin ceiling could withstand a temperature of 1,369° for an hour and 10 minutes, whereas plaster collapsed in 12 minutes.
  2. Some old, underfired clay pantiles might be damaged by button mosses rooting in cracks and fissures. But most post-war tiles are hard enough to withstand a bit of moss growth.

Etymology

From Middle English withstanden, from Old English wiþstandan, from Proto-West Germanic *wiþistandan (“to withstand, resist”), equivalent to with- (“against”) + stand. Cognate with Old Frisian withstanda (“to resist”). Compare also Dutch weerstaan (“to withstand, repel”), German widerstehen (“to withstand, resist, defy”), Russian противостоять (protivostojatʹ, “to withstand”).

This word in other languages

aguantar(Español)résister(Français)widerstehen(Deutsch)aguentar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iwthstand
  • wihtstand
  • withhstand
  • withsatnd
  • withsstand
  • withstadn
  • withstandd
  • withstannd
  • withstnad
  • withsttand
  • withtsand
  • witshtand
  • witthstand
  • wtihstand
  • wwithstand

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

iwthstand2wihtstand2withhstand1withsatnd2withsstand1withstadn2withstandd1withstannd1
Edit distance from "withstand"

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 "withstand"?
"withstand" is spelled W-I-T-H-S-T-A-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /wɪðˈstænd/.
What does "withstand" mean?
As a verb, "withstand" means: To resist or endure (something) successfully.
What words are commonly confused with "withstand"?
"withstand" is commonly confused with "withstood". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "withstand"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "withstand" is /wɪðˈstænd/. 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 "withstand"?
From Middle English withstanden, from Old English wiþstandan, from Proto-West Germanic *wiþistandan (“to withstand, resist”), equivalent to with- (“against”) + stand. Cognate with Old Frisian withstanda (“to resist”). Compare also Dutch weerstaan ... 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 "withstand", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

amazingly#12,178underwent#12,162undermine#12,161applicant#12,180

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

bargaining15 variantsdeficiency15 variantsnightclub15 variantshypocrisy15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list