number
/ˈnʌmbər/
"number" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“number” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #216 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #216
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 9
- tracked misspellings
- 4
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Quantity.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | number |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈnʌmbər/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #216 |
| Misspellings tracked | 9 |
| Confusable pairs | 4 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “number” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for number is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnʌmbər/. Corpus data places it at rank #216 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 17 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for number, with forms such as "nmuber", "nnumber", and "nubmer". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "nutter", "Numbers", "numbered", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English number, nombre, numbre, noumbre, from Anglo-Norman noumbre, Old French nombre, from Latin numerus (“number”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nem- (“to divide”). Compare Saterland Frisian Nummer, Nuumer, West Frisian nûmer, Dutch nu… The correct English form is number, spelled N-U-M-B-E-R.
Definition
- 1Quantity.
- 2An abstract entity used to describe quantity.
- 3A numeral: a symbol for a non-negative integer.
- 4An element of one of several sets: natural numbers, integers, rational numbers, real numbers, complex numbers, and sometimes extensions such as hypercomplex numbers, etc.
- 5Indicating the position of something in a list or sequence. Abbreviations: No or No., no or no. (in each case, sometimes written with a superscript "o", like Nº or №). The symbol "#" is also used in this manner.
- 6A sequence of digits and letters used to register people, automobiles, and various other items.
- 7A telephone number.
- 8Of a word or phrase, the state of being singular, dual or plural, shown by inflection.
- 9Poetic metres; verses, rhymes.
- 10A performance; especially, a single song or song and dance routine within a larger show.
- 11A group of people.
- 12A person.
- 13An outfit, particularly a stylish one.
- 14A marijuana cigarette, or joint; also, a quantity of marijuana bought from a dealer.
- 15An issue of a periodical publication.
- 16A large amount, in contrast to a smaller amount; numerical preponderance.
- 17An activity; assignment; job, as in cushy number.
Etymology
From Middle English number, nombre, numbre, noumbre, from Anglo-Norman noumbre, Old French nombre, from Latin numerus (“number”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *nem- (“to divide”). Compare Saterland Frisian Nummer, Nuumer, West Frisian nûmer, Dutch nummer (“number”), German Nummer (“number”), Danish nummer (“number”), Swedish nummer (“number”), Icelandic númer (“number”). Replaced Middle English ȝetæl and rime, more at tell, tale and rhyme.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: nmuber,nnumber,nubmer,numbber,numberr,numbre,numebr,nummber,unmber
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of number - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “number”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is N-U-M-B-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈnʌmbər/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “nutter” - see the side-by-side comparison. number vs nutter
- 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.