elderberry

/ˈɛldə(ɹ)ˌbɛɹi/

//ˈɛldə(ɹ)ˌbɛɹi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“elderberry” is uncommon English (frequency #81,295 among 18,836 “E” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#81,295
frequency rank, English
18,836
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any shrub or tree of the genus Sambucus;

Corpus desk

Index EN-elderberry · elderberry · English

elderberry · rank #81,295 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #81,295
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 18,836
  • PHOTO-FINISH embargoed

Nearest frequency peer: embargoed (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “elderberry”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “elderberry” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for elderberry
PropertyValue
Headwordelderberry
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛldə(ɹ)ˌbɛɹi/
Letters10
Frequency rank#81,295
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “elderberry” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). elderberry lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

elderberry is uncommon English at frequency #81,295 among 18,836 “E” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɛldə(ɹ)ˌbɛɹi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

elderberry has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Middle English eldre English elder Proto-Germanic *bazją Proto-West Germanic *baʀi Old English berġe Middle English berye English berry English elderberry Compound of elder + berry. The correct English form is elderberry, spelled E-L-D-E-R-B-E-R-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any shrub or tree of the genus Sambucus;
  2. 2
    The small, edible, purplish-black fruit of this plant, used in cooking and to flavour drinks etc.

Etymology

Etymology tree Middle English eldre English elder Proto-Germanic *bazją Proto-West Germanic *baʀi Old English berġe Middle English berye English berry English elderberry Compound of elder + berry.

This word in other languages

baie de sureau(Français)Holunderbeere(Deutsch)sabugo(Português)

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "elderberry"?
"elderberry" is spelled E-L-D-E-R-B-E-R-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛldə(ɹ)ˌbɛɹi/.
What does "elderberry" mean?
As a noun, "elderberry" means: Any shrub or tree of the genus Sambucus;
How do you pronounce "elderberry"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "elderberry" is /ˈɛldə(ɹ)ˌbɛɹi/. 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 "elderberry"?
Etymology tree Middle English eldre English elder Proto-Germanic *bazją Proto-West Germanic *baʀi Old English berġe Middle English berye English berry English elderberry Compound of elder + berry. 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 "elderberry", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

demonology#81,262consulship#81,234Constantia#81,233Carolinian#81,207
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list