broom

/bɹuːm/

//bɹuːm// noun

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

"broom" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“broom” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,655. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,655
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A domestic utensil with fibers bound together at the end of a long handle, used for sweeping.

Corpus desk

Index EN-broom · broom · English

broom · rank #16,655 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,655
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH breakers

Nearest frequency peer: breakers (-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 “broom”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “broom” 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).

broom vs bros
60% similar
broom vs brow
60% similar
broom vs brown
60% similar

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

Key facts for broom
PropertyValue
Headwordbroom
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/bɹuːm/
Letters5
Frequency rank#16,655
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “broom”

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).broomlands 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 “breakers” (#16,654), “brute” (#16,657), “Boone” (#16,652). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “broom” is #16,655. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around broom (IPA /bɹuːm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,655 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for broom, with forms such as "bbroom", "borom", and "bromo". 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 also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bros", "brow", "brown", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English brom, from Old English brōm (“brushwood”), from Proto-West Germanic *brām (“bramble”) (compare Saterland Frisian Brom, West Frisian brem, Dutch braam, German Low German Braam), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrem-, from *bʰer- ‘edg… The correct English form is broom, spelled B-R-O-O-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A domestic utensil with fibers bound together at the end of a long handle, used for sweeping.
  2. 2
    An implement with which players sweep the ice to make a stone travel further and curl less; a sweeper.
  3. 3
    Any of several yellow-flowered shrubs of the family Fabaceae, with long, stiff, thin branches and small or few leaves used for the domestic utensil.
  4. 4
    Any of several yellow-flowered shrubs of the family Fabaceae, with long, stiff, thin branches and small or few leaves used for the domestic utensil.
  5. 5
    Any of several yellow-flowered shrubs of the family Fabaceae, with long, stiff, thin branches and small or few leaves used for the domestic utensil.
  6. 6
    A firearm; especially, a shotgun.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Meronyms: broomstick (handle), bavin (head)
  2. At the same time, the encroachment of vegetation proceeds apace, and broom and brambles have already made portions of the line impassable, even on foot.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English brom, from Old English brōm (“brushwood”), from Proto-West Germanic *brām (“bramble”) (compare Saterland Frisian Brom, West Frisian brem, Dutch braam, German Low German Braam), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrem-, from *bʰer- ‘edge’. Related to brim, brink. Replaced English besom (from Old English besma (“broom, rod”)), which is now restricted in meaning to a particular kind of broom. (shotgun): So called because it is (like the cleaning utensil) long and held similarly to a besom and “cleans” what is in front.

This word in other languages

escoba(Español)balai(Français)Besen(Deutsch)giesta(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbroom
  • borom
  • bromo
  • broomm
  • brroom
  • rboom

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of broom - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

bbroom1borom2bromo2broomm1brroom1rboom2
Edit distance from "broom"

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 "broom"?
"broom" is spelled B-R-O-O-M. The IPA pronunciation is /bɹuːm/.
What does "broom" mean?
As a noun, "broom" means: A domestic utensil with fibers bound together at the end of a long handle, used for sweeping.
What words are commonly confused with "broom"?
"broom" is commonly confused with "bros", "brow", "brown". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "broom"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "broom" is /bɹuːm/. 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 "broom"?
Inherited from Middle English brom, from Old English brōm (“brushwood”), from Proto-West Germanic *brām (“bramble”) (compare Saterland Frisian Brom, West Frisian brem, Dutch braam, German Low German Braam), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrem-, from *... 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 "broom", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

brute#16,657Boone#16,652buffy#16,658blanc#16,649

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

accuses6 variantsdefy6 variantseater6 variantsEaton6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list