eider

/ˈaɪdə/

//ˈaɪdə// noun

"eider" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“eider” is uncommon English (frequency #83,212 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#83,212
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of the species of Somateria spp. and Polysticta stelleri or of the seaduck subfamily Merginae, which line their nests with fine down (taken from their own bodies).

Corpus desk

Index EN-eider · eider · English

eider · rank #83,212 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #83,212
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH ejecta

Nearest frequency peer: ejecta (+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 “eider”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for eider
PropertyValue
Headwordeider
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈaɪdə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#83,212
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “eider” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).eiderfalls 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: “ejecta” (#83,213), “Edberg” (#83,210), “electrophysiological” (#83,214). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “eider” is #83,212. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

eider is uncommon English at frequency #83,212 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈaɪdə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Any of the species of Somateria spp. and Polysticta stelleri or of the seaduck subfamily Merginae, which line their nests with fine down (taken from their own bodies).".

Zero misspellings are on record for eider in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Icelandic æðar, genitive of æðr, probably reaching English via Swedish eider (now ejder), from a North Germanic root. The correct English form is eider, spelled E-I-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of the species of Somateria spp. and Polysticta stelleri or of the seaduck subfamily Merginae, which line their nests with fine down (taken from their own bodies).

Etymology

From Icelandic æðar, genitive of æðr, probably reaching English via Swedish eider (now ejder), from a North Germanic root.

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

How do you spell "eider"?
"eider" is spelled E-I-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈaɪdə/.
What does "eider" mean?
As a noun, "eider" means: Any of the species of Somateria spp. and Polysticta stelleri or of the seaduck subfamily Merginae, which line their nests with fine down (taken from their own bodies).
How do you pronounce "eider"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "eider" is /ˈaɪdə/. 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 "eider"?
From Icelandic æðar, genitive of æðr, probably reaching English via Swedish eider (now ejder), from a North Germanic root. 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 "eider", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list