burrow

Name: burrow, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈbʌɹəʊ/

//ˈbʌɹəʊ// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“burrow” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #25,305 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#25,305
frequency rank, English: 6
letters: 7
tracked misspellings: 8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A tunnel or hole, often as dug by a small creature.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

burrow vs Burton

50% similar

burrow vs brow

67% similar

burrow vs burr

67% similar

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

Key facts for burrow
Property	Value
Headword	burrow
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈbʌɹəʊ/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#25,305
Misspellings tracked	7
Confusable pairs	8
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “burrow” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). burrow lands here:

#25,305

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for burrow is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbʌɹəʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #25,305 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for burrow, with forms such as "bburrow", "brurow", and "burorw". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "Burton", "brow", "burr", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English borowe, borewe, borwȝ, burȝe, burh, burye (“refuge for an animal, lair, burrow”), apparently a variant of Middle English burgh (“fortified dwelling, stronghold, refuge”) (see borough) and thus from Old English burh, from Proto-West Germa… The correct English form is burrow, spelled B-U-R-R-O-W.

Definition

1
A tunnel or hole, often as dug by a small creature.
2
Obsolete form of barrow (“a mound”).
3
Obsolete form of borough (“an incorporated town”).

Etymology

From Middle English borowe, borewe, borwȝ, burȝe, burh, burye (“refuge for an animal, lair, burrow”), apparently a variant of Middle English burgh (“fortified dwelling, stronghold, refuge”) (see borough) and thus from Old English burh, from Proto-West Germanic *burg, from Proto-Germanic *burgz (“stronghold, city”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“high”), but this sense is not known in Old English burh. Compare, however, Dutch cognate burcht, which has a similar sense. It may be related to bury (“to dig”), in which case it would be derived from Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ- (“to protect, defend, save, preserve”).

This word in other languages

madriguera(Español)terrier(Français)Bau(Deutsch)túnel(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bburrow,brurow,burorw,burow,burroww,burrwo,ubrrow

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of burrow - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "burrow"

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 "burrow"?

"burrow" is spelled B-U-R-R-O-W. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbʌɹəʊ/.

What does "burrow" mean?

As a noun, "burrow" means: A tunnel or hole, often as dug by a small creature.

What words are commonly confused with "burrow"?

"burrow" is commonly confused with "Burton", "brow", "burr". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "burrow"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "burrow" is /ˈbʌɹəʊ/. 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 "burrow"?

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 “burrow”

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

The one correct English spelling is B-U-R-R-O-W - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈbʌɹəʊ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “Burton” - see the side-by-side comparison. burrow vs Burton
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.