earwig

/ˈɪə(ɹ)wɪɡ/

//ˈɪə(ɹ)wɪɡ// noun

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

"earwig" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“earwig” is uncommon English (frequency #87,240 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#87,240
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of various insects of the order Dermaptera that have elongated bodies, large membranous wings folded underneath short leathery forewings and a pair of large pincers protruding from the rear of ...

Corpus desk

Index EN-earwig · earwig · English

earwig · rank #87,240 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #87,240
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH ectoplasm

Nearest frequency peer: ectoplasm (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “earwig”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “earwig” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for earwig
PropertyValue
Headwordearwig
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɪə(ɹ)wɪɡ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#87,240
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “earwig” in English

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).earwigfalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “ectoplasm” (#87,241), “dyspepsia” (#87,238), “duplicative” (#87,236). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “earwig” is #87,240. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

earwig is uncommon English at frequency #87,240 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɪə(ɹ)wɪɡ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for earwig in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English erwigge, from Old English ēarwicga, from ēare (“ear”) + wicga (“insect”), so named from the appearance of the hindwings, which are unique in their resemblance to human ears when unfolded. The correct English form is earwig, spelled E-A-R-W-I-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of various insects of the order Dermaptera that have elongated bodies, large membranous wings folded underneath short leathery forewings and a pair of large pincers protruding from the rear of the abdomen.
  2. 2
    One who whispers insinuations; a secret counsellor.
  3. 3
    A flatterer.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. "That's a fine young fellow," said the historiographer of earwigs, to an American who stood next him in the crowd.
  2. The idea was probably strengthened by the earwig′s appearance, with a sharp, pincer-like appendage extending to the rear. However, earwigs are herbivores, and they are no more likely to enter an ear than are ants, bees, flies, or any other small insect. Even when earwigs do occasionally find their way into human ears, they cannot burrow their way through…

Etymology

From Middle English erwigge, from Old English ēarwicga, from ēare (“ear”) + wicga (“insect”), so named from the appearance of the hindwings, which are unique in their resemblance to human ears when unfolded.

This word in other languages

tijereta(Español)forficule(Français)Ohrwurm(Deutsch)

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 "earwig"?
"earwig" is spelled E-A-R-W-I-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪə(ɹ)wɪɡ/.
What does "earwig" mean?
As a noun, "earwig" means: Any of various insects of the order Dermaptera that have elongated bodies, large membranous wings folded underneath short leathery forewings and a pair of large pincers protruding from the rear of ...
How do you pronounce "earwig"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "earwig" is /ˈɪə(ɹ)wɪɡ/. 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 "earwig"?
From Middle English erwigge, from Old English ēarwicga, from ēare (“ear”) + wicga (“insect”), so named from the appearance of the hindwings, which are unique in their resemblance to human ears when unfolded. 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 "earwig", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Ehrman#87,244Dunton#87,235Eklund#87,246Dowson#87,228

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list