igloo

/ˈɪɡ.luː/

//ˈɪɡ.luː// noun

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

"igloo" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“igloo” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #44,857. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#44,857
frequency rank, English
17,902
“I” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A dome-shaped Inuit shelter, constructed of blocks cut from snow.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

igloo vs Igor
40% similar
igloo vs Igbo
40% similar

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

Key facts for igloo
PropertyValue
Headwordigloo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɪɡ.luː/
Letters5
Frequency rank#44,857
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “igloo” 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). igloo lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around igloo (IPA /ˈɪɡ.luː/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #44,857 among 17,902 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for igloo, with forms such as "giloo", "iggloo", and "iglloo". 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, "Igor", "Igbo", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Inuktitut ᐃᒡᓗ (iclo, “house, building (of any kind)”), from Proto-Inuit *ǝɣlu, from Proto-Eskimo *ǝŋlu. The correct English form is igloo, spelled I-G-L-O-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A dome-shaped Inuit shelter, constructed of blocks cut from snow.
  2. 2
    A cavity, or excavation, made in the snow by a seal, over its breathing hole in the sea ice.
  3. 3
    A reinforced bunker for the storage of nuclear weapons.
  4. 4
    A kind of airfreight cargo container.

Etymology

From Inuktitut ᐃᒡᓗ (iclo, “house, building (of any kind)”), from Proto-Inuit *ǝɣlu, from Proto-Eskimo *ǝŋlu.

This word in other languages

iglú(Español)igloo(Français)Iglu(Deutsch)iglu(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • giloo
  • iggloo
  • iglloo
  • iglo
  • igolo
  • ilgoo

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

giloo2iggloo1iglloo1iglo1igolo2ilgoo2
Edit distance from "igloo"

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 "igloo"?
"igloo" is spelled I-G-L-O-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɪɡ.luː/.
What does "igloo" mean?
As a noun, "igloo" means: A dome-shaped Inuit shelter, constructed of blocks cut from snow.
What words are commonly confused with "igloo"?
"igloo" is commonly confused with "Igor", "Igbo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "igloo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "igloo" is /ˈɪɡ.luː/. 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 "igloo"?
From Inuktitut ᐃᒡᓗ (iclo, “house, building (of any kind)”), from Proto-Inuit *ǝɣlu, from Proto-Eskimo *ǝŋlu. 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 “igloo”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is I-G-L-O-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɪɡ.luː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Igor” - see the side-by-side comparison. igloo vs Igor
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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