iceberg

/ˈaɪsbɜːɡ/

//ˈaɪsbɜːɡ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“iceberg” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,341. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,341
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The seaward end of a glacier.

Corpus desk

Index EN-iceberg · iceberg · English

iceberg · rank #18,341 · 10 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,341
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH hunts

Nearest frequency peer: hunts (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “iceberg”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “iceberg” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for iceberg
PropertyValue
Headwordiceberg
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈaɪsbɜːɡ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#18,341
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “iceberg”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).iceberglands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “hunts” (#18,340), “HUD” (#18,339), “ignite” (#18,343). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “iceberg” is #18,341. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around iceberg (IPA /ˈaɪsbɜːɡ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #18,341 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for iceberg, with forms such as "cieberg", "icbeerg", and "icceberg". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Partial calque of Dutch ijsberg (compound of ijs (“ice”) + berg (“mountain”)), from Middle Dutch ijsberch. First used to describe a glacier as seen at a distance from a ship then used as a term to describe the floating chunks of ice broken off from such gla… The correct English form is iceberg, spelled I-C-E-B-E-R-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    The seaward end of a glacier.
  2. 2
    A huge mass of ocean-floating ice which has broken off a glacier or ice shelf
  3. 3
    An aloof person.
  4. 4
    An impending disastrous event whose adverse effects are only beginning to show.
  5. 5
    A topic that is more convoluted and fractal than it may seem.
  6. 6
    A topic that is more convoluted and fractal than it may seem.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank.
  2. Clissold the excellent cook, who should have gone with the motor party, tumbled off a small iceberg and concussed himself while posing or 'ponting' as it had come to be known- Griffith Taylor, with his usual wit, had defined 'to pont' as 'to spend a deuce of a time posing in an uncomfortable position'.

Etymology

Partial calque of Dutch ijsberg (compound of ijs (“ice”) + berg (“mountain”)), from Middle Dutch ijsberch. First used to describe a glacier as seen at a distance from a ship then used as a term to describe the floating chunks of ice broken off from such glaciers. Cognate to German Eisberg, Danish isbjerg, Norwegian isberg and Swedish isberg. Figurative senses in reference to the fact that only one-tenth of an iceberg is usually visible above water.

This word in other languages

banquisa(Español)iceberg(Français)Eisberg(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cieberg
  • icbeerg
  • icceberg
  • icebberg
  • icebegr
  • icebergg
  • iceberrg
  • icebreg
  • iceebrg
  • iecberg

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of iceberg - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

cieberg2icbeerg2icceberg1icebberg1icebegr2icebergg1iceberrg1icebreg2
Edit distance from "iceberg"

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 "iceberg"?
"iceberg" is spelled I-C-E-B-E-R-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈaɪsbɜːɡ/.
What does "iceberg" mean?
As a noun, "iceberg" means: The seaward end of a glacier.
What are common misspellings of "iceberg"?
Common misspellings include "cieberg", "icbeerg", "icceberg", "icebberg", "icebegr". The correct spelling is "iceberg".
How do you pronounce "iceberg"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "iceberg" is /ˈaɪsbɜːɡ/. 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 "iceberg"?
Partial calque of Dutch ijsberg (compound of ijs (“ice”) + berg (“mountain”)), from Middle Dutch ijsberch. First used to describe a glacier as seen at a distance from a ship then used as a term to describe the floating chunks of ice broken off fro... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "iceberg", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

hostess#18,338hipster#18,336handgun#18,329Haitian#18,328

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

learner10 variantspancake10 variantsdreaded10 variantscupcake10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list