bookworm

/ˈbʊk.wɜːm/

//ˈbʊk.wɜːm// noun

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

"bookworm" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bookworm” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #48,096. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#48,096
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of various insects that infest books.

Corpus desk

Index EN-bookworm · bookworm · English

bookworm · rank #48,096 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #48,096
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH Bodie

Nearest frequency peer: Bodie (-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 “bookworm”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “bookworm” 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
Key facts for bookworm
PropertyValue
Headwordbookworm
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbʊk.wɜːm/
Letters8
Frequency rank#48,096
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “bookworm”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).bookwormlands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “Bodie” (#48,095), “bowyer” (#48,097), “bodes” (#48,094). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “bookworm” is #48,096. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around bookworm (IPA /ˈbʊk.wɜːm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #48,096 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for bookworm, with forms such as "bbookworm", "bokoworm", and "bokworm". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From book + worm. The correct English form is bookworm, spelled B-O-O-K-W-O-R-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of various insects that infest books.
  2. 2
    An avid book reader.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. “This,” remarked the sedate observer beside me, “is a bookworm,—one of those men who are born to gnaw dead thoughts. His clothes, you see, are covered with the dust of libraries.

Etymology

From book + worm.

This word in other languages

tragalibros(Español)rat de bibliothèque(Français)Bücherwurm(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbookworm
  • bokoworm
  • bokworm
  • bookkworm
  • bookowrm
  • bookwomr
  • bookwormm
  • bookworrm
  • bookwrom
  • bookwworm
  • boowkorm
  • obokworm

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bookworm - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

bbookworm1bokoworm2bokworm1bookkworm1bookowrm2bookwomr2bookwormm1bookworrm1
Edit distance from "bookworm"

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 "bookworm"?
"bookworm" is spelled B-O-O-K-W-O-R-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbʊk.wɜːm/.
What does "bookworm" mean?
As a noun, "bookworm" means: Any of various insects that infest books.
What are common misspellings of "bookworm"?
Common misspellings include "bbookworm", "bokoworm", "bokworm", "bookkworm", "bookowrm". The correct spelling is "bookworm".
How do you pronounce "bookworm"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bookworm" is /ˈbʊk.wɜːm/. 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 "bookworm"?
From book + worm. 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 "bookworm", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

artifice#48,068Chastain#48,132chatroom#48,133Algernon#48,051

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

adjuvant12 variantscorduroy12 variantsvermouth12 variantsurbanism12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list