Hollywood

Name: Hollywood, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈhɒ.li.wʊd/

//ˈhɒ.li.wʊd// name

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“Hollywood” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,897 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#2,897
frequency rank, English: 9
letters: 12
tracked misspellings: 1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California, known as the center of the American motion picture industry.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Hollywood vs Holyrood

78% similar

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

Key facts for Hollywood
Property	Value
Headword	Hollywood
Language	English
Part of speech	Proper noun
IPA	/ˈhɒ.li.wʊd/
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#2,897
Misspellings tracked	12
Confusable pairs	1
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Hollywood” 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). Hollywood lands here:

#2,897

#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 Hollywood is 9 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhɒ.li.wʊd/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,897 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 25 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 Hollywood, with forms such as "hhollywood", "hlolywood", and "hollwyood". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Holyrood", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: The name of the neighbourhood in Los Angeles (proper noun sense 1) was coined by real estate developer H. J. Whitley, from holly + wood. By metonymy, it became the name of the industry, and eventually also a name for decadence. The correct English form is Hollywood, spelled H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D.

Definition

1
A neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California, known as the center of the American motion picture industry.
2
The American motion picture industry, regardless of location.
3
Other places in the United States:
4
Other places in the United States:
5
Other places in the United States:
6
Other places in the United States:
7
Other places in the United States:
8
Other places in the United States:
9
Other places in the United States:
10
Other places in the United States:
11
Other places in the United States:
12
Other places in the United States:
13
Other places in the United States:
14
Other places in the United States:
15
Other places in the United States:
16
Other places in the United States:
17
Other places in the United States:
18
Other places in the United States:
19
Other places in the United States:
20
Other places in the United States:
21
A village in west County Wicklow, Ireland.
22
A village in Wythall parish, Bromsgrove district, Worcestershire, England (OS grid ref SP0877).
23
A barangay of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, Philippines.
24
A nickname for someone involved with the film industry or celebrity culture.
25
A surname

Etymology

The name of the neighbourhood in Los Angeles (proper noun sense 1) was coined by real estate developer H. J. Whitley, from holly + wood. By metonymy, it became the name of the industry, and eventually also a name for decadence.

This word in other languages

Hollywood(Español)Hollywood(Français)Hollywood(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhollywood,hlolywood,hollwyood,hollyowod,hollywod,hollywodo,hollywoodd,hollywwood,hollyywood,holylwood,holywood,ohllywood

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Hollywood - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Edit distance from "Hollywood"

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 "Hollywood"?

"Hollywood" is spelled H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɒ.li.wʊd/.

What does "Hollywood" mean?

As a proper noun, "Hollywood" means: A neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California, known as the center of the American motion picture industry.

What words are commonly confused with "Hollywood"?

"Hollywood" is commonly confused with "Holyrood". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "Hollywood"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Hollywood" is /ˈhɒ.li.wʊd/. 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 "Hollywood"?

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 “Hollywood”

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

The one correct English spelling is H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈhɒ.li.wʊd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “Holyrood” - see the side-by-side comparison. Hollywood vs Holyrood
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.