not to worry
"not-to-worry" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“not to worry” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - There is no need for concern; there isn't a serious problem.
Corpus desk
Index EN-not-to-worry · not to worry · English
not to worry · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 12 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "N" 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 | not to worry |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Phrase |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “not to worry” in English
Rare enough to double-check
not to worry is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "There is no need for concern; there isn't a serious problem.".
No misspelling variants are generated for not to worry in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: The origin of the phrase is unknown. According to Partridge’s Dictionary of Catch Phrases the idiom dates from the mid-1930s with a surge in 1957–8. The correct English form is not to worry, spelled N-O-T- -T-O- -W-O-R-R-Y.
Definition
- 1There is no need for concern; there isn't a serious problem.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how not to worry appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
She didn't catch this train, but not to worry: she can get the next one.
For those whose economic outlook may be summarised in that hackneyed expression "Not to worry," then the latest figures could be interpreted as conducive to that conviction.
Etymology
The origin of the phrase is unknown. According to Partridge’s Dictionary of Catch Phrases the idiom dates from the mid-1930s with a surge in 1957–8.
Synonyms
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.