flower

/ˈflaʊ.ə/

//ˈflaʊ.ə// noun

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

"flower" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“flower” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,493. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,493
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A colorful, conspicuous structure associated with angiosperms, frequently scented and attracting various insects, and which may or may not be used for sexual reproduction.

Corpus desk

Index EN-flower · flower · English

flower · rank #3,493 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,493
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH ghost

Nearest frequency peer: ghost (+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 “flower”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “flower” 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).

flower vs flows
67% similar
flower vs flown
67% similar
flower vs flyer
67% similar

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

Key facts for flower
PropertyValue
Headwordflower
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈflaʊ.ə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,493
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “flower”

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).flowerlands 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 “ghost” (#3,494), “expecting” (#3,491), “guests” (#3,495). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “flower” is #3,493. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around flower (IPA /ˈflaʊ.ə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #3,493 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 16 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for flower, with forms such as "fflower", "fllower", and "floewr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "flows", "flown", "flyer", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English flour, from Anglo-Norman flur, from Latin flōrem, accusative of flōs, from Proto-Italic *flōs, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- (“to thrive, bloom”). Doublet of fleur, flor, flour, bloom, and blossom. Partly displaced native Old English… The correct English form is flower, spelled F-L-O-W-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A colorful, conspicuous structure associated with angiosperms, frequently scented and attracting various insects, and which may or may not be used for sexual reproduction.
  2. 2
    A reproductive structure in angiosperms (flowering plants), often conspicuously colourful and typically including sepals, petals, and either or both stamens and/or a pistil.
  3. 3
    A plant that bears flowers, especially a plant that is small and lacks wood.
  4. 4
    The stem of a flowering plant with the blossom or blossoms attached, used for decoration, as a gift, etc.
  5. 5
    Of plants, a state of bearing blooms.
  6. 6
    The vulva, especially the labia majora.
  7. 7
    The best examples or representatives of a group.
  8. 8
    The best state of things; the prime.
  9. 9
    Flour.
  10. 10
    A substance in the form of a powder, especially when condensed from sublimation.
  11. 11
    A figure of speech; an ornament of style.
  12. 12
    Ornamental type used chiefly for borders around pages, cards, etc.
  13. 13
    Menstrual discharges.
  14. 14
    A delicate, fragile, or oversensitive person.
  15. 15
    Credit, recognition.
  16. 16
    Cannabis.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. O Laurinella! little doſt thou wot / How fraile a flower thou doſt ſo highly prize: / Beauty's the flower, but love the flower-pot / That muſt preſerve it, els it quickly dyes.
  2. The flowers glowed red and golden: snapdragons and sunflowers, and nasturtians trailing all over the turf walls and peeping in at the round windows.

Etymology

From Middle English flour, from Anglo-Norman flur, from Latin flōrem, accusative of flōs, from Proto-Italic *flōs, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- (“to thrive, bloom”). Doublet of fleur, flor, flour, bloom, and blossom. Partly displaced native Old English blostma (which is cognate), whence Modern English blossom.

Synonyms

headpseudanthiumcreamprimebloomblossomflower

This word in other languages

flor(Español)fleur(Français)Blüte(Deutsch)flor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fflower
  • fllower
  • floewr
  • flowerr
  • flowre
  • flowwer
  • flwoer
  • folwer
  • lfower

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of flower - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

fflower1fllower1floewr2flowerr1flowre2flowwer1flwoer2folwer2
Edit distance from "flower"

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 "flower"?
"flower" is spelled F-L-O-W-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈflaʊ.ə/.
What does "flower" mean?
As a noun, "flower" means: A colorful, conspicuous structure associated with angiosperms, frequently scented and attracting various insects, and which may or may not be used for sexual reproduction.
What words are commonly confused with "flower"?
"flower" is commonly confused with "flows", "flown", "flyer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "flower"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "flower" is /ˈflaʊ.ə/. 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 "flower"?
From Middle English flour, from Anglo-Norman flur, from Latin flōrem, accusative of flōs, from Proto-Italic *flōs, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- (“to thrive, bloom”). Doublet of fleur, flor, flour, bloom, and blossom. Partly displaced native O... 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 "flower", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

guests#3,495handed#3,496hockey#3,497judges#3,504

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

dressed9 variantsmorgan9 variantsMoscow9 variantsbehalf9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list