cumbrous
/ˈkʌmbɹəs/
"cumbrous" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“cumbrous” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Unwieldy because of size or weight; cumbersome.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | cumbrous |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈkʌmbɹəs/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “cumbrous” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for cumbrous is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkʌmbɹəs/. 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.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for cumbrous, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Late Middle English combrous (“causing obstruction; clumsy; obstructed; bothersome, difficult; burdensome, onerous; serious; causing trouble, troublesome; dangerous; immoral; unjust, wrongful; upset”) [and other forms], from komber, kumbre (“distress; … The correct English form is cumbrous, spelled C-U-M-B-R-O-U-S.
Definition
- 1Unwieldy because of size or weight; cumbersome.
- 2Causing hindrance or obstruction.
- 3Giving annoyance or trouble; troublesome, vexatious.
Etymology
From Late Middle English combrous (“causing obstruction; clumsy; obstructed; bothersome, difficult; burdensome, onerous; serious; causing trouble, troublesome; dangerous; immoral; unjust, wrongful; upset”) [and other forms], from komber, kumbre (“distress; destruction”) + -ous (suffix forming adjectives). The English word is analysable as cumber + -ous.
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
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Using “cumbrous”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-U-M-B-R-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkʌmbɹəs/ (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.