loofah

/ˈluːfə/

//ˈluːfə// noun

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

The verdict

“loofah” is uncommon English (frequency #89,565 among 2,297 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#89,565
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of several tropical vines of the genus Luffa, having almost cylindrical fruit with a spongy, fibrous interior; the dishcloth gourd.

Corpus desk

Index EN-loofah · loofah · English

loofah · rank #89,565 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #89,565
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH longe

Nearest frequency peer: longe (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “loofah”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “loofah” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for loofah
PropertyValue
Headwordloofah
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈluːfə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#89,565
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “loofah” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).loofahfalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “longe” (#89,564), “Loria” (#89,566), “loupe” (#89,567). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “loofah” is #89,565. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

loofah is uncommon English at frequency #89,565 among 2,297 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈluːfə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for loofah in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Arabic لُوفَة (lūfa). The correct English form is loofah, spelled L-O-O-F-A-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of several tropical vines of the genus Luffa, having almost cylindrical fruit with a spongy, fibrous interior; the dishcloth gourd.
  2. 2
    The dried fibrous interior of such a plant, used as a sponge for bathing.
  3. 3
    Any bath sponge; a sponge on a handle.

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic لُوفَة (lūfa).

This word in other languages

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 "loofah"?
"loofah" is spelled L-O-O-F-A-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈluːfə/.
What does "loofah" mean?
As a noun, "loofah" means: Any of several tropical vines of the genus Luffa, having almost cylindrical fruit with a spongy, fibrous interior; the dishcloth gourd.
How do you pronounce "loofah"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "loofah" is /ˈluːfə/. 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 "loofah"?
Borrowed from Arabic لُوفَة (lūfa). 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 "loofah", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list