moonwalk

/ˈmuːnwɔːk/

//ˈmuːnwɔːk// noun

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

"moonwalk" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“moonwalk” is uncommon English (frequency #66,847 among 4,057 “M” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,847
frequency rank, English
4,057
“M” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An exploration of the Moon's surface on foot by an astronaut.

Corpus desk

Index EN-moonwalk · moonwalk · English

moonwalk · rank #66,847 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #66,847
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,057
  • PHOTO-FINISH montane

Nearest frequency peer: montane (-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 “moonwalk”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for moonwalk
PropertyValue
Headwordmoonwalk
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmuːnwɔːk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#66,847
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “moonwalk” in English

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).moonwalkfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “montane” (#66,846), “monoculture” (#66,845), “monasticism” (#66,844). Among 4,057 “M” headwords, “moonwalk” is #66,847. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

moonwalk is uncommon English at frequency #66,847 among 4,057 “M” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈmuːnwɔːk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for moonwalk in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Moon + walk. * (backslide): Coined by Michael Jackson in 1983, when popularizing the backslide and renaming it. The correct English form is moonwalk, spelled M-O-O-N-W-A-L-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    An exploration of the Moon's surface on foot by an astronaut.
  2. 2
    Activity on the Moon, outside any moonbase, exposed to space, by an astronaut
  3. 3
    A dance move in which the dancer slides backwards though the feet move as if walking forwards; the backslide.
  4. 4
    A dance style in which the dancer appears to be moving in a low gravity environment.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Though the idea of placing wacky made-up characters in a real-life context was carried over from Da Ali G Show—wherein Buzz Aldrin was once asked if he was upset that Michael Jackson got all the credit for inventing the moonwalk—Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat felt like something new, an attempt to square an improvised, guerrilla style of underground comedy wit…

Etymology

From Moon + walk. * (backslide): Coined by Michael Jackson in 1983, when popularizing the backslide and renaming it.

Synonyms

LEVA

This word in other languages

moonwalk(Français)

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 "moonwalk"?
"moonwalk" is spelled M-O-O-N-W-A-L-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmuːnwɔːk/.
What does "moonwalk" mean?
As a noun, "moonwalk" means: An exploration of the Moon's surface on foot by an astronaut.
How do you pronounce "moonwalk"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "moonwalk" is /ˈmuːnwɔːk/. 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 "moonwalk"?
From Moon + walk. * (backslide): Coined by Michael Jackson in 1983, when popularizing the backslide and renaming it. 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 "moonwalk", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

moccasin#66,840noblesse#66,877magnesia#66,814Oakleigh#66,888

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list