ice floe

/ˈaɪs.fləʊ/

//ˈaɪs.fləʊ// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"ice-floe" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ice floe” 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
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any type of sea ice not attached to land, drift ice.

Key facts for ice floe
PropertyValue
Headwordice floe
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈaɪs.fləʊ/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ice floe” sits in English frequency

ice floe falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for ice floe is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈaɪs.fləʊ/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

ice floe doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From ice + floe. The correct English form is ice floe, spelled I-C-E- -F-L-O-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any type of sea ice not attached to land, drift ice.
  2. 2
    An ice dam (ice jam), a blockage of ice in a river starting with an ice floe in the river.
  3. 3
    An ice stream (ice flow), a type of fast moving glacier
  4. 4
    A flat mass of floating ice, smaller than an ice field.

Etymology

From ice + floe.

Synonyms

ice float

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 floe"?
"ice floe" is spelled I-C-E- -F-L-O-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈaɪs.fləʊ/.
What does "ice floe" mean?
As a noun, "ice floe" means: Any type of sea ice not attached to land, drift ice.
How do you pronounce "ice floe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ice floe" is /ˈaɪs.fləʊ/. 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 floe"?
From ice + floe. 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 “ice floe”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-C-E- -F-L-O-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈaɪs.fləʊ/ (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.

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

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