godwit
/ˈɡɑd.wɪt/
"godwit" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“godwit” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of four species of long-billed migratory wading birds in the genus Limosa, of the family Scolopacidae.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | godwit |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈɡɑd.wɪt/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “godwit” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for godwit is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡɑd.wɪt/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Any of four species of long-billed migratory wading birds in the genus Limosa, of the family Scolopacidae.".
Zero misspellings are on record for godwit in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: Origin unknown. A surface analysis would suggest Old English *gōdwiht as the term's ultimate origin, corresponding to good + wight (“creature”), but the term is attested only since late Middle English. The Oxford English Dictionary considers the term to pro… The correct English form is godwit, spelled G-O-D-W-I-T.
Definition
- 1Any of four species of long-billed migratory wading birds in the genus Limosa, of the family Scolopacidae.
Etymology
Origin unknown. A surface analysis would suggest Old English *gōdwiht as the term's ultimate origin, corresponding to good + wight (“creature”), but the term is attested only since late Middle English. The Oxford English Dictionary considers the term to probably have originally been imitative of the bird's call.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “godwit”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is G-O-D-W-I-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɡɑd.wɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.