flamingo
/fləˈmɪŋɡoʊ/
"flamingo" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“flamingo” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,794 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #26,794
- frequency rank, English
- 8
- letters
- 12
- tracked misspellings
- 6
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A wading bird of the family Phoenicopteridae of the order Phoenicopteriformes.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | flamingo |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /fləˈmɪŋɡoʊ/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #26,794 |
| Misspellings tracked | 12 |
| Confusable pairs | 6 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “flamingo” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for flamingo is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /fləˈmɪŋɡoʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #26,794 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for flamingo, with forms such as "falmingo", "fflamingo", and "flaimngo". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "framing", "Fleming", "foaming", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Portuguese flamengo (“flamingo”) and Spanish flamenco (“flamingo”), which were adapted from Catalan flamenc (“flamingo”), of disputed ultimate origin in this sense. All three forms are used adjectivally as an ethnonym meaning 'Flemish' (of Germanic ori… The correct English form is flamingo, spelled F-L-A-M-I-N-G-O.
Definition
- 1A wading bird of the family Phoenicopteridae of the order Phoenicopteriformes.
- 2A deep pink color tinged with orange, like that of a flamingo.
Etymology
From Portuguese flamengo (“flamingo”) and Spanish flamenco (“flamingo”), which were adapted from Catalan flamenc (“flamingo”), of disputed ultimate origin in this sense. All three forms are used adjectivally as an ethnonym meaning 'Flemish' (of Germanic origin, cognate to English Fleming); Spanish flamenco refers also to a dance type. Compare also French flamant (“flamingo”). *The bird's name may derive from the ethnonym by an association of a ruddy complexion or hair color with the Flemings; this etymology is supported by Corominas. (In Spanish, flamenco can be used colloquially as an adjective meaning "robust, healthy-looking".) * Alternatively, the dance flamenco, the bird name, or both come from attaching the same Germanic-derived ending found in the ethnonym to the distinct root of Latin flamma (“flame”): i.e. Catalan flamenc has been analyzed as flama (“flame”) + -enc. Compare also Portuguese -engo.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: falmingo,fflamingo,flaimngo,flamigno,flaminggo,flaminngo,flaminog,flammingo,flamnigo,fllamingo,flmaingo,lfamingo
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of flamingo - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "flamingo"?
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Using “flamingo”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is F-L-A-M-I-N-G-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /fləˈmɪŋɡoʊ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “framing” - see the side-by-side comparison. flamingo vs framing
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.