anorak

/ˈænəɹæk/

//ˈænəɹæk// noun

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

"anorak" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“anorak” is uncommon English (frequency #88,054 among 3,931 “A” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#88,054
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A heavy weatherproof jacket with an attached hood; a parka or windcheater.

Corpus desk

Index EN-anorak · anorak · English

anorak · rank #88,054 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #88,054
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH anglicized

Nearest frequency peer: anglicized (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “anorak”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “anorak” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for anorak
PropertyValue
Headwordanorak
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈænəɹæk/
Letters6
Frequency rank#88,054
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “anorak” in English

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).anorakfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “anglicized” (#88,053), “anticompetitive” (#88,056), “Amoy” (#88,050). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “anorak” is #88,054. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

anorak is uncommon English at frequency #88,054 among 3,931 “A” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈænəɹæk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for anorak in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: * Borrowed from Greenlandic annoraaq. * (person with obsessive interest): Originally referring to train spotters (because they would wear anoraks while looking out for trains). The correct English form is anorak, spelled A-N-O-R-A-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A heavy weatherproof jacket with an attached hood; a parka or windcheater.
  2. 2
    A person with an unusual or obsessive interest in a niche subject, especially trains.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Don't ever use the hood on your anorak; and, if you do, for heaven's sake don't pull the string tight so that you peep out like a little baby in a siren suit.
  2. He has described himself as the uber-geek, an anorak's anorak, a standard bearer for fellow Star Trekkies everywhere, and his air of bland, amiable bafflement has served him remarkably well in a string of TV and film roles.

Etymology

* Borrowed from Greenlandic annoraaq. * (person with obsessive interest): Originally referring to train spotters (because they would wear anoraks while looking out for trains).

This word in other languages

anorak(Español)anorak(Français)Anorak(Deutsch)

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 "anorak"?
"anorak" is spelled A-N-O-R-A-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈænəɹæk/.
What does "anorak" mean?
As a noun, "anorak" means: A heavy weatherproof jacket with an attached hood; a parka or windcheater.
How do you pronounce "anorak"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "anorak" is /ˈænəɹæk/. 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 "anorak"?
* Borrowed from Greenlandic annoraaq. * (person with obsessive interest): Originally referring to train spotters (because they would wear anoraks while looking out for trains). 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 "anorak", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Armond#88,065Ahearn#88,034aguayo#88,033Ayotte#88,078

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list