yesteryear

/ˈjɛstəjɪə/

//ˈjɛstəjɪə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“yesteryear” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #46,277. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#46,277
frequency rank, English
366
“Y” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - Past years; time gone by; yore.

Corpus desk

Index EN-yesteryear · yesteryear · English

yesteryear · rank #46,277 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #46,277
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 366
  • PHOTO-FINISH Yamaguchi

Nearest frequency peer: Yamaguchi (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “yesteryear”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “yesteryear” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026
Key facts for yesteryear
PropertyValue
Headwordyesteryear
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈjɛstəjɪə/
Letters10
Frequency rank#46,277
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “yesteryear” 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). yesteryear lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around yesteryear (IPA /ˈjɛstəjɪə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #46,277 among 366 “Y” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for yesteryear, with forms such as "eysteryear", "yesetryear", and "yessteryear". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. 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 yester- + year. The correct English form is yesteryear, spelled Y-E-S-T-E-R-Y-E-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Past years; time gone by; yore.
  2. 2
    Last year.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. To be old here, is to be respectable, and time-honored is the epithet most coveted. You see no sign of the doings of yesterday or yesteryear: the new is careful of obtruding itself, and comes into the world under matronage of the old.
  2. It seems to me that it isn't these little acts and little connexions we make in our lives that matter so very much. They pass away, and where are they? Where…Where are the snows of yesteryear?

Etymology

From yester- + year.

Synonyms

foretimeyestertidethe past

This word in other languages

antaño(Español)jadis(Français)einst(Deutsch)outrora(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eysteryear
  • yesetryear
  • yessteryear
  • yestereyar
  • yesterryear
  • yesteryaer
  • yesteryearr
  • yesteryera
  • yesteryyear
  • yesteyrear
  • yestreyear
  • yestteryear
  • yetseryear
  • yseteryear
  • yyesteryear

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

eysteryear2yesetryear2yessteryear1yestereyar2yesterryear1yesteryaer2yesteryearr1yesteryera2
Edit distance from "yesteryear"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "yesteryear"?
"yesteryear" is spelled Y-E-S-T-E-R-Y-E-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈjɛstəjɪə/.
What does "yesteryear" mean?
As a noun, "yesteryear" means: Past years; time gone by; yore.
What are common misspellings of "yesteryear"?
Common misspellings include "eysteryear", "yesetryear", "yessteryear", "yestereyar", "yesterryear". The correct spelling is "yesteryear".
How do you pronounce "yesteryear"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "yesteryear" is /ˈjɛstəjɪə/. 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 "yesteryear"?
From yester- + year. 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 "yesteryear", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Anglophone#46,299variegated#46,249unreadable#46,244undressing#46,241

Similar misspelling depth

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

attestation15 variantsscribbling15 variantsCopperfield15 variantsrightwing15 variants
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