bump into

/ˌbʌmˈpɪn.tuː/

//ˌbʌmˈpɪn.tuː// verb

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

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

The verdict

“bump into” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To collide with.

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

Where “bump into” sits in English frequency

bump into falls 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for bump into is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌbʌmˈpɪn.tuː/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “bump into”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-U-M-P- -I-N-T-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌbʌmˈpɪn.tuː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English 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