bump into

/ˌbʌmˈpɪn.tuː/

//ˌbʌmˈpɪn.tuː// verb

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

The verdict

“bump into” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To collide with.

Corpus desk

Index EN-bump-into · bump into · English

bump into · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "B" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for bump into
PropertyValue
Headwordbump into
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˌbʌmˈpɪn.tuː/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “bump into” in English

bump intofalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

bump into is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˌbʌmˈpɪn.tuː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

bump into has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is bump into, spelled B-U-M-P- -I-N-T-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    To collide with.
  2. 2
    To cause (a thing) to collide with.
  3. 3
    To meet by chance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He bumped into the wall. I guess that's a risk you take when you read while walking.
  2. Luke staggered blindly down the street, almost bumping into an old woman in black with a shawl drawn close about her head and shoulders[…]

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "bump into"?
"bump into" is spelled B-U-M-P- -I-N-T-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌbʌmˈpɪn.tuː/.
What does "bump into" mean?
As a verb, "bump into" means: To collide with.
How do you pronounce "bump into"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bump into" is /ˌbʌmˈpɪn.tuː/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "bump into" come from?
"bump into" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list