earthworm
/ˈɜː(ɹ)θˌwɜː(ɹ)m/
"earthworm" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“earthworm” is an uncommon English word, ranked #57,993 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #57,993
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A worm that lives in the ground.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | earthworm |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈɜː(ɹ)θˌwɜː(ɹ)m/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #57,993 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “earthworm” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for earthworm is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɜː(ɹ)θˌwɜː(ɹ)m/. Corpus data places it at rank #57,993 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
earthworm doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English erthe-worm, erþe-worm, erþe worm (also as worm of þe erthe, worm of þe erþe), equivalent to earth + worm. Compare Saterland Frisian Äidwurm (“earthworm”), West Frisian ierdwjirm (“earthworm”), Dutch aardworm (“earthworm”), less common Ge… The correct English form is earthworm, spelled E-A-R-T-H-W-O-R-M.
Definition
- 1A worm that lives in the ground.
- 2A worm of the family Lumbricidae, or, more generally, of the suborder Lumbricina.
- 3A contemptible person; a groveller.
Etymology
From Middle English erthe-worm, erþe-worm, erþe worm (also as worm of þe erthe, worm of þe erþe), equivalent to earth + worm. Compare Saterland Frisian Äidwurm (“earthworm”), West Frisian ierdwjirm (“earthworm”), Dutch aardworm (“earthworm”), less common German Erdwurm (“earthworm”).
Synonyms
This word in other languages
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
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Using “earthworm”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is E-A-R-T-H-W-O-R-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɜː(ɹ)θˌwɜː(ɹ)m/ (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.