newcomb

/ˈn(j)uːkəm/

//ˈn(j)uːkəm// noun

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

"newcomb" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“newcomb” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #48,378. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#48,378
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A sport that is a variation of volleyball, but in which one may catch the ball.

Corpus desk

Index EN-newcomb · newcomb · English

newcomb · rank #48,378 · 11 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #48,378
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH newsstand

Nearest frequency peer: newsstand (+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 “newcomb”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “newcomb” 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).

newcomb vs Newsom
57% similar
newcomb vs newcomer
75% similar

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

Key facts for newcomb
PropertyValue
Headwordnewcomb
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈn(j)uːkəm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#48,378
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “newcomb”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).newcomblands 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 “newsstand” (#48,379), “Nazarene” (#48,376), “nastiness” (#48,375). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “newcomb” is #48,378. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around newcomb (IPA /ˈn(j)uːkəm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #48,378 among 1,534 “N” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A sport that is a variation of volleyball, but in which one may catch the ball.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for newcomb, with forms such as "enwcomb", "necwomb", and "newccomb". 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, "Newsom", "newcomer", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Named after Sophie Newcomb College, where it was invented. The correct English form is newcomb, spelled N-E-W-C-O-M-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sport that is a variation of volleyball, but in which one may catch the ball.

Etymology

Named after Sophie Newcomb College, where it was invented.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • enwcomb
  • necwomb
  • newccomb
  • newcmob
  • newcobm
  • newcombb
  • newcommb
  • newocmb
  • newwcomb
  • nnewcomb
  • nwecomb

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

enwcomb2necwomb2newccomb1newcmob2newcobm2newcombb1newcommb1newocmb2
Edit distance from "newcomb"

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 "newcomb"?
"newcomb" is spelled N-E-W-C-O-M-B. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈn(j)uːkəm/.
What does "newcomb" mean?
As a noun, "newcomb" means: A sport that is a variation of volleyball, but in which one may catch the ball.
What words are commonly confused with "newcomb"?
"newcomb" is commonly confused with "Newsom", "newcomer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "newcomb"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "newcomb" is /ˈn(j)uːkəm/. 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 "newcomb"?
Named after Sophie Newcomb College, where it was invented. 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 "newcomb", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

nibbles#48,381naivety#48,372Moresby#48,365onetime#48,394

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Nazarene11 variantsOnondaga11 variantsmistral11 variantsprecept11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list