emoticon

/ɪˈmoʊtəˌkɑn/

//ɪˈmoʊtəˌkɑn// noun

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

"emoticon" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“emoticon” is uncommon English (frequency #57,366 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,366
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A graphical representation of a particular emotion of the writer, used especially in SMS, email, or other electronic communication.

Corpus desk

Index EN-emoticon · emoticon · English

emoticon · rank #57,366 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #57,366
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH elvish

Nearest frequency peer: elvish (-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 “emoticon”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for emoticon
PropertyValue
Headwordemoticon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪˈmoʊtəˌkɑn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#57,366
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “emoticon” 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).emoticonfalls 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: “elvish” (#57,365), “ellipsis” (#57,364), “emporia” (#57,368). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “emoticon” is #57,366. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

emoticon is uncommon English at frequency #57,366 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɪˈmoʊtəˌkɑn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for emoticon in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Blend of emotion + icon. Unrelated to emoji. The correct English form is emoticon, spelled E-M-O-T-I-C-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A graphical representation of a particular emotion of the writer, used especially in SMS, email, or other electronic communication.
  2. 2
    A graphical representation of a particular emotion of the writer, used especially in SMS, email, or other electronic communication.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A remark intended humorously is often indicated by the letter G in parentheses, for "grin," or by a sideways happy face built from punctuation marks. Such symbols are known as emoticons.
  2. In a 4 by 2 experimental procedure, :) ;) :( or no emoticon were inserted alternately in simulated e-mail message mock-ups

Etymology

Blend of emotion + icon. Unrelated to emoji.

This word in other languages

emoticón(Español)émoticône(Français)Emoticon(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 "emoticon"?
"emoticon" is spelled E-M-O-T-I-C-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪˈmoʊtəˌkɑn/.
What does "emoticon" mean?
As a noun, "emoticon" means: A graphical representation of a particular emotion of the writer, used especially in SMS, email, or other electronic communication.
How do you pronounce "emoticon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "emoticon" is /ɪˈmoʊtəˌkɑn/. 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 "emoticon"?
Blend of emotion + icon. Unrelated to emoji. 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 "emoticon", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ellipsis#57,364Eastlake#57,359dovetail#57,349doldrums#57,346

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list