cucumber

/ˈkjuːˌkʌmbə/

//ˈkjuːˌkʌmbə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“cucumber” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,882. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,882
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A vine in the gourd family, Cucumis sativus.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cucumber · cucumber · English

cucumber · rank #16,882 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,882
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH crook

Nearest frequency peer: crook (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “cucumber”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “cucumber” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for cucumber
PropertyValue
Headwordcucumber
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkjuːˌkʌmbə/
Letters8
Frequency rank#16,882
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cucumber”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).cucumberlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “crook” (#16,881), “CPS” (#16,880), “darts” (#16,884). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cucumber” is #16,882. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around cucumber (IPA /ˈkjuːˌkʌmbə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,882 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for cucumber, with forms such as "ccucumber", "ccuumber", and "cuccumber". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English cucumer, cucumber, from Old French cocombre, ultimately from Latin cucumis, cucumerem (possibly through an Old Occitan intermediate). Probably of Pre-Italic substrate origin. The correct English form is cucumber, spelled C-U-C-U-M-B-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A vine in the gourd family, Cucumis sativus.
  2. 2
    The edible fruit of this plant, having a green rind and crisp white flesh.
  3. 3
    A person who is calm and self-possessed.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. ASPARAGUS, cauliflowers, imperial Sileſia, royal and cabbage lettuces, burnet, purſlain, cucumbers, naſturtian flowers, peaſe and beans ſown in October, artichokes, ſcarlet ſtrawberries, and kidney beans.
  2. […]for it has been a common ſaying of phyſicians in England, that a cucumber ſhould be well ſliced, and dreſſed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing.

Etymology

From Middle English cucumer, cucumber, from Old French cocombre, ultimately from Latin cucumis, cucumerem (possibly through an Old Occitan intermediate). Probably of Pre-Italic substrate origin.

This word in other languages

pepino(Español)concombre(Français)Gurke(Deutsch)pepineiro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccucumber
  • ccuumber
  • cuccumber
  • cucmuber
  • cucubmer
  • cucumbber
  • cucumberr
  • cucumbre
  • cucumebr
  • cucummber
  • cuucmber
  • uccumber

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cucumber - 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.

ccucumber1ccuumber2cuccumber1cucmuber2cucubmer2cucumbber1cucumberr1cucumbre2
Edit distance from "cucumber"

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 "cucumber"?
"cucumber" is spelled C-U-C-U-M-B-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkjuːˌkʌmbə/.
What does "cucumber" mean?
As a noun, "cucumber" means: A vine in the gourd family, Cucumis sativus.
What are common misspellings of "cucumber"?
Common misspellings include "ccucumber", "ccuumber", "cuccumber", "cucmuber", "cucubmer". The correct spelling is "cucumber".
How do you pronounce "cucumber"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cucumber" is /ˈkjuːˌkʌmbə/. 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 "cucumber"?
From Middle English cucumer, cucumber, from Old French cocombre, ultimately from Latin cucumis, cucumerem (possibly through an Old Occitan intermediate). Probably of Pre-Italic substrate origin. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "cucumber", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

coronary#16,876diagnose#16,889Emmanuel#16,899eviction#16,906

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

collegiate12 variantsartifact12 variantsadultery12 variantshesitant12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list