iguana

/ɪ.ɡjuˈɑːnə/

//ɪ.ɡjuˈɑːnə// noun

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

"iguana" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“iguana” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,853. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,853
frequency rank, English
2,140
“I” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A green iguana (Iguana iguana), a large tropical American lizard often kept as a pet.

Corpus desk

Index EN-iguana · iguana · English

iguana · rank #39,853 · 6 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #39,853
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,140
  • PHOTO-FINISH Hutt

Nearest frequency peer: Hutt (-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 “iguana”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “iguana” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

iguana vs Ivana
50% similar

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

Key facts for iguana
PropertyValue
Headwordiguana
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɪ.ɡjuˈɑːnə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#39,853
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “iguana”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).iguanalands 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 “Hutt” (#39,852), “impassable” (#39,854), “huckleberry” (#39,851). Among 2,140 “I” headwords, “iguana” is #39,853. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around iguana (IPA /ɪ.ɡjuˈɑːnə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #39,853 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for iguana, with forms such as "igauna", "igguana", and "iguaan". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Ivana", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Spanish iguana, from Taíno *iwana. The correct English form is iguana, spelled I-G-U-A-N-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A green iguana (Iguana iguana), a large tropical American lizard often kept as a pet.
  2. 2
    Any member of the genus Iguana.
  3. 3
    In America and the Pacific, any of several members of the lizard family Iguanidae.
  4. 4
    In Africa, any large member of the genus Varanus, especially the aquatic Nile monitor (see leguan).
  5. 5
    Any member of the genus Varanus (see goanna).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The problem with keeping the green iguana as a pet is that they are often misfed. For example, some will feed them meat or meat-based foods […]
  2. Marine iguanas line the shores of the islands, and are usually seen sprawled over lava rocks near the sea.

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish iguana, from Taíno *iwana.

This word in other languages

iguana(Español)iguane(Français)Leguan(Deutsch)iguana(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • igauna
  • igguana
  • iguaan
  • iguanna
  • igunaa
  • iugana

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of iguana - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

igauna2igguana1iguaan2iguanna1igunaa2iugana2
Edit distance from "iguana"

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 "iguana"?
"iguana" is spelled I-G-U-A-N-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪ.ɡjuˈɑːnə/.
What does "iguana" mean?
As a noun, "iguana" means: A green iguana (Iguana iguana), a large tropical American lizard often kept as a pet.
What words are commonly confused with "iguana"?
"iguana" is commonly confused with "Ivana". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "iguana"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "iguana" is /ɪ.ɡjuˈɑːnə/. 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 "iguana"?
Borrowed from Spanish iguana, from Taíno *iwana. 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 "iguana", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Hendry#39,845invert#39,865Jacobi#39,871grisly#39,834

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Glynn6 variantsKohn6 variantsflor6 variantsLexie6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list