collywobbles
/ˈkɒlɪwɒb(ə)lz/
"collywobbles" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“collywobbles” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A stomach ache or an upset stomach.
Corpus desk
Index EN-collywobbles · collywobbles · English
collywobbles · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 12 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "C" 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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | collywobbles |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈkɒlɪwɒb(ə)lz/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “collywobbles” in English
Rare enough to double-check
collywobbles is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɒlɪwɒb(ə)lz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for collywobbles in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: Probably from colic (“severe pains that grip the abdomen”) + wobble (“unsteady motion”). Alternatively, it has been suggested that the word derives from colly (“coal dust”) (in the sense of someone becoming ill from breathing in such dust), or that it is a … The correct English form is collywobbles, spelled C-O-L-L-Y-W-O-B-B-L-E-S.
Definition
- 1A stomach ache or an upset stomach.
- 2Anxiety, fear, uneasiness.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how collywobbles appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Petunia’s off school today with a touch of the collywobbles.
Collywobbles, the gripes.
Etymology
Probably from colic (“severe pains that grip the abdomen”) + wobble (“unsteady motion”). Alternatively, it has been suggested that the word derives from colly (“coal dust”) (in the sense of someone becoming ill from breathing in such dust), or that it is a corruption of cholera.
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.