ice cream

/ˌaɪsˈkɹiːm/

//ˌaɪsˈkɹiːm// noun

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

The verdict

“ice cream” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A dessert made from frozen sweetened cream or a similar substance, usually flavoured.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ice-cream · ice cream · English

ice cream · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "I" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for ice cream
PropertyValue
Headwordice cream
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌaɪsˈkɹiːm/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “ice cream” in English

ice creamsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

ice cream is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌaɪsˈkɹiːm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for ice cream in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Lexicalization of a reduced pronunciation of iced cream with regular deletion of -d before a cluster, from iced + cream. Compare mash potato. The correct English form is ice cream, spelled I-C-E- -C-R-E-A-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A dessert made from frozen sweetened cream or a similar substance, usually flavoured.
  2. 2
    A portion of ice cream on a stick, in a cup or in a wafer cone.
  3. 3
    The drug methamphetamine.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Strawberries are particularly delicious with ice cream.
  2. We were having a chocolate ice cream.

Etymology

Lexicalization of a reduced pronunciation of iced cream with regular deletion of -d before a cluster, from iced + cream. Compare mash potato.

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

How do you spell "ice cream"?
"ice cream" is spelled I-C-E- -C-R-E-A-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌaɪsˈkɹiːm/.
What does "ice cream" mean?
As a noun, "ice cream" means: A dessert made from frozen sweetened cream or a similar substance, usually flavoured.
How do you pronounce "ice cream"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ice cream" is /ˌaɪsˈkɹiːm/. 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 "ice cream"?
Lexicalization of a reduced pronunciation of iced cream with regular deletion of -d before a cluster, from iced + cream. Compare mash potato. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list