steeple

\stipl\

/\stipl\/ noun

The verdict

“steeple” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #47,621 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#47,621
frequency rank, French
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Course d’athlétisme où les athlètes doivent franchir une distance de 3000 mètres, semé de hautes barrières, dont quelques unes sont au niveau du sol et d’autres sont suivies par un fossé rempli d’eau.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

steeple vs stèle
57% similar
steeple vs steppe
71% similar
steeple vs Steeve
57% similar

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

Key facts for steeple
PropertyValue
Headwordsteeple
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\stipl\
Letters7
Frequency rank#47,621
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “steeple” sits in French 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). steeple 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 French entry for steeple is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \stipl\. Corpus data places it at rank #47,621 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for steeple, with forms such as "seteple", "ssteeple", and "steelpe". 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. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "stèle", "steppe", "Steeve", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct French form is steeple, spelled S-T-E-E-P-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Course d’athlétisme où les athlètes doivent franchir une distance de 3000 mètres, semé de hautes barrières, dont quelques unes sont au niveau du sol et d’autres sont suivies par un fossé rempli d’eau.
  2. 2
    Steeple-chase.
  3. 3
    Maladie, irritation par asséchement de la muqueuse buccale. Attaques ponctuelles, parfois nocturnes; senties ou douloureuses. Des lèvres, elle peut s’étendre à la langue et aux joues, parfois aussi à la gorge.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: seteple,ssteeple,steelpe,steepel,steeplle,steepple,stepele,steple,stteeple,tseeple

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

seteple2ssteeple1steelpe2steepel2steeplle1steepple1stepele2steple1
Edit distance from "steeple"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "steeple"?
"steeple" is spelled S-T-E-E-P-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is \stipl\.
What does "steeple" mean?
As a noun, "steeple" means: Course d’athlétisme où les athlètes doivent franchir une distance de 3000 mètres, semé de hautes barrières, dont quelques unes sont au niveau du sol et d’autres sont suivies par un fossé rempli d’eau.
What words are commonly confused with "steeple"?
"steeple" is commonly confused with "stèle", "steppe", "Steeve". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "steeple"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "steeple" is \stipl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "steeple" come from?
"steeple" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “steeple”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is S-T-E-E-P-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \stipl\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “stèle” - see the side-by-side comparison. steeple vs stèle
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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