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” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,493 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,493
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 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.

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)

Where “flower” 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). flower lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for flower is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈflaʊ.ə/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,493 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “flower”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is F-L-O-W-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈflaʊ.ə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “flows” - see the side-by-side comparison. flower vs flows
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list