illume
/ɪˈluːm/
"illume" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“illume” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To throw or spread light upon; to make light or bright.
Corpus desk
Index EN-illume · illume · English
illume · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 6 letters
- VOW-3 3 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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | illume |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ɪˈluːm/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “illume” in English
Rare enough to double-check
illume is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ɪˈluːm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To throw or spread light upon; to make light or bright.".
Zero misspellings are on record for illume in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Clipping of illumine. The correct English form is illume, spelled I-L-L-U-M-E.
Definition
- 1To throw or spread light upon; to make light or bright.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how illume appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Laſt night of all, / When yond ſame Starre that's Weſtward from the Pole / Had made his courſe t’illume that part of Heauen / Where now it burnes, / Marcellus and my ſelfe, / The Bell then beating one.
How dread the thunder's peal that rolls above ! How bright the flashes that illume the sky !
Etymology
Clipping of illumine.
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.