cubbyhole

/ˈkʌbiˌhoʊl/

//ˈkʌbiˌhoʊl// noun

"cubbyhole" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cubbyhole” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - 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) - A small, snug room which may be used as a place of privacy and safety by children

Key facts for cubbyhole
PropertyValue
Headwordcubbyhole
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkʌbiˌhoʊl/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cubbyhole” sits in English frequency

cubbyhole 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 cubbyhole is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkʌbiˌhoʊl/. 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.

No misspelling variants are generated for cubbyhole in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From cubby + hole. The correct English form is cubbyhole, spelled C-U-B-B-Y-H-O-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small, snug room which may be used as a place of privacy and safety by children
  2. 2
    A small compartment; a pigeonhole
  3. 3
    A glove compartment

Etymology

From cubby + hole.

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 "cubbyhole"?
"cubbyhole" is spelled C-U-B-B-Y-H-O-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkʌbiˌhoʊl/.
What does "cubbyhole" mean?
As a noun, "cubbyhole" means: A small, snug room which may be used as a place of privacy and safety by children
How do you pronounce "cubbyhole"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cubbyhole" is /ˈkʌbiˌhoʊl/. 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 "cubbyhole"?
From cubby + hole. 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.

Using “cubbyhole”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-U-B-B-Y-H-O-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkʌbiˌhoʊl/ (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