homebrew

/ˈhoʊmˌbɹu/

//ˈhoʊmˌbɹu// noun

"homebrew" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“homebrew” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #43,693 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#43,693
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A beer brewed by enthusiasts rather than commercially.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

homebrew vs Hebrew
63% similar
homebrew vs hombre
75% similar

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

Key facts for homebrew
PropertyValue
Headwordhomebrew
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhoʊmˌbɹu/
Letters8
Frequency rank#43,693
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “homebrew” 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). homebrew 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 homebrew is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhoʊmˌbɹu/. Corpus data places it at rank #43,693 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 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 homebrew, with forms such as "hhomebrew", "hmoebrew", and "hoembrew". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "Hebrew", "hombre", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From home + brew. The correct English form is homebrew, spelled H-O-M-E-B-R-E-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    A beer brewed by enthusiasts rather than commercially.
  2. 2
    A game or amateur radio equipment made or modified by an amateur.
  3. 3
    A player who plays for the team named after their own native town.

Etymology

From home + brew.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhomebrew,hmoebrew,hoembrew,homberew,homebbrew,homeberw,homebreww,homebrrew,homebrwe,homerbew,hommebrew,ohmebrew

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of homebrew - 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.

hhomebrew1hmoebrew2hoembrew2homberew2homebbrew1homeberw2homebreww1homebrrew1
Edit distance from "homebrew"

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 "homebrew"?
"homebrew" is spelled H-O-M-E-B-R-E-W. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhoʊmˌbɹu/.
What does "homebrew" mean?
As a noun, "homebrew" means: A beer brewed by enthusiasts rather than commercially.
What words are commonly confused with "homebrew"?
"homebrew" is commonly confused with "Hebrew", "hombre". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "homebrew"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "homebrew" is /ˈhoʊmˌbɹu/. 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 "homebrew"?
From home + brew. 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 “homebrew”

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

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