nothingburger
/ˈnʌθɪŋbəːɡə/
"nothingburger" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“nothingburger” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 13
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An unimportant person; a nobody, a nonentity.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | nothingburger |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈnʌθɪŋbəːɡə/ |
| Letters | 13 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “nothingburger” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for nothingburger is 13 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnʌθɪŋbəːɡə/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No generated misspelling entries exist for nothingburger in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is derived from nothing (pronoun, noun) + -burger (suffix forming names of hamburgers served in buns with the addition of specified foodstuffs, or with foodstuffs in place of the usual meat), a metaphorical reference to a burger missing a patty—its… The correct English form is nothingburger, spelled N-O-T-H-I-N-G-B-U-R-G-E-R.
Definition
- 1An unimportant person; a nobody, a nonentity.
- 2Something of less importance than its treatment suggests; also, something which is bland or unremarkable in appearance or impact.
- 3A matter of no concern, especially one that had been of concern; a non-issue.
Etymology
The noun is derived from nothing (pronoun, noun) + -burger (suffix forming names of hamburgers served in buns with the addition of specified foodstuffs, or with foodstuffs in place of the usual meat), a metaphorical reference to a burger missing a patty—its most significant component. The word was apparently coined by the American gossip columnist Louella Parsons (1881–1972) in her widely syndicated daily column “Louella’s Move-Go-’Round” of June 1, 1953: see the quotation. The adjective is derived from the noun.
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “nothingburger”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is N-O-T-H-I-N-G-B-U-R-G-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈnʌθɪŋbəːɡə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.