embroidery

/ɪmˈbɹɔɪdəɹi/

//ɪmˈbɹɔɪdəɹi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“embroidery” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,198. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,198
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The ornamentation of fabric using needlework.

Corpus desk

Index EN-embroidery · embroidery · English

embroidery · rank #21,198 · 15 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #21,198
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH Emanuel

Nearest frequency peer: Emanuel (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “embroidery”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “embroidery” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

embroidery vs embroidered
82% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for embroidery
PropertyValue
Headwordembroidery
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪmˈbɹɔɪdəɹi/
Letters10
Frequency rank#21,198
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “embroidery”

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).embroiderylands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Emanuel” (#21,197), “emo” (#21,199), “Elisabeth” (#21,196). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “embroidery” is #21,198. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around embroidery (IPA /ɪmˈbɹɔɪdəɹi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #21,198 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for embroidery, with forms such as "ebmroidery", "embbroidery", and "emboridery". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "embroidered", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French embrouderie, from embrouder + -erie. By surface analysis, embroider + -y. The correct English form is embroidery, spelled E-M-B-R-O-I-D-E-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The ornamentation of fabric using needlework.
  2. 2
    A piece of embroidered fabric.
  3. 3
    The elaboration of an account, etc. with details, especially when fictitious.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. ‘No,’ said Luke, grinning at her. ‘You're not dull enough! […] What about the kid's clothes? I don't suppose they were anything to write home about, but didn't you keep anything? A bootee or a bit of embroidery or anything at all?’

Etymology

From Middle French embrouderie, from embrouder + -erie. By surface analysis, embroider + -y.

This word in other languages

bordado(Español)broderie(Français)Stickerei(Deutsch)bordado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ebmroidery
  • embbroidery
  • emboridery
  • embriodery
  • embrodiery
  • embroiddery
  • embroiderry
  • embroideryy
  • embroideyr
  • embroidrey
  • embroiedry
  • embrroidery
  • emmbroidery
  • emrboidery
  • mebroidery

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of embroidery - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ebmroidery2embbroidery1emboridery2embriodery2embrodiery2embroiddery1embroiderry1embroideryy1
Edit distance from "embroidery"

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 "embroidery"?
"embroidery" is spelled E-M-B-R-O-I-D-E-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪmˈbɹɔɪdəɹi/.
What does "embroidery" mean?
As a noun, "embroidery" means: The ornamentation of fabric using needlework.
What words are commonly confused with "embroidery"?
"embroidery" is commonly confused with "embroidered". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "embroidery"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "embroidery" is /ɪmˈbɹɔɪdəɹi/. 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 "embroidery"?
From Middle French embrouderie, from embrouder + -erie. By surface analysis, embroider + -y. 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 "embroidery", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Fahrenheit#21,207disrupting#21,187derogatory#21,182contrasted#21,172

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

consensual15 variantsCarmichael15 variantsintimately15 variantsbranching15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list