cumbersome

/ˈkʌmbəsəm/

//ˈkʌmbəsəm// adj

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

"cumbersome" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cumbersome” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,504. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,504
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Burdensome or hindering, as if a weight or drag; vexatious.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cumbersome · cumbersome · English

cumbersome · rank #23,504 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,504
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH crossfit

Nearest frequency peer: crossfit (-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 “cumbersome”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cumbersome” 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 cumbersome
PropertyValue
Headwordcumbersome
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈkʌmbəsəm/
Letters10
Frequency rank#23,504
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cumbersome”

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).cumbersomelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “crossfit” (#23,503), “curt” (#23,505), “CPC” (#23,502). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cumbersome” is #23,504. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around cumbersome (IPA /ˈkʌmbəsəm/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #23,504 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for cumbersome, with forms such as "ccumbersome", "cmubersome", and "cubmersome". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English cumbyrsum, cummyrsum; equivalent to cumber (“hindrance”) + -some. Compare encumber and incumbent. The correct English form is cumbersome, spelled C-U-M-B-E-R-S-O-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Burdensome or hindering, as if a weight or drag; vexatious.
  2. 2
    Not easily managed or handled; awkward; clumsy.
  3. 3
    Hard, difficult, demanding to handle or get around with.
  4. 4
    Inert, lumbering, slow in movement.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. "You can throw off your cumbersome disguise here," said Lucy, though the words could scarcely be distinguished, from her excessive agitation, Evelyn hastily caught up a cloak and cap laid ready for him, and a few minutes brought them into the sitting-room.
  2. Cumbersome machines can endanger operators and slow down production.

Etymology

From Middle English cumbyrsum, cummyrsum; equivalent to cumber (“hindrance”) + -some. Compare encumber and incumbent.

Synonyms

cumbrouslumpishunwieldy

This word in other languages

pesado(Español)encombrant(Français)mühsam(Deutsch)incómodo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccumbersome
  • cmubersome
  • cubmersome
  • cumbbersome
  • cumberosme
  • cumberrsome
  • cumbersmoe
  • cumbersoem
  • cumbersomme
  • cumberssome
  • cumbesrome
  • cumbresome
  • cumebrsome
  • cummbersome
  • ucmbersome

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ccumbersome1cmubersome2cubmersome2cumbbersome1cumberosme2cumberrsome1cumbersmoe2cumbersoem2
Edit distance from "cumbersome"

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 "cumbersome"?
"cumbersome" is spelled C-U-M-B-E-R-S-O-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkʌmbəsəm/.
What does "cumbersome" mean?
As an adjective, "cumbersome" means: Burdensome or hindering, as if a weight or drag; vexatious.
What are common misspellings of "cumbersome"?
Common misspellings include "ccumbersome", "cmubersome", "cubmersome", "cumbbersome", "cumberosme". The correct spelling is "cumbersome".
How do you pronounce "cumbersome"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cumbersome" is /ˈkʌmbəsəm/. 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 "cumbersome"?
From Middle English cumbyrsum, cummyrsum; equivalent to cumber (“hindrance”) + -some. Compare encumber and incumbent. 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 "cumbersome", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

devotional#23,512astronomer#23,460greenfield#23,554Greensboro#23,555

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

blackjack15 variantshamstring15 variantsHeidelberg15 variantsmartyrdom15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list