ombudsman

/ˈɒmbədzmən/

//ˈɒmbədzmən// noun

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

"ombudsman" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ombudsman” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,262. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,262
frequency rank, English
15,494
“O” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An appointed official whose duty is to investigate complaints, generally on behalf of individuals such as consumers or taxpayers, against institutions such as companies and government departments.

Key facts for ombudsman
PropertyValue
Headwordombudsman
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɒmbədzmən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#24,262
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ombudsman” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). ombudsman lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around ombudsman (IPA /ˈɒmbədzmən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #24,262 among 15,494 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for ombudsman, with forms such as "mobudsman", "obmudsman", and "ombbudsman". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Swedish ombudsman (equivalent to ombud (“representative, proxy”) + man), from Old Norse umboðsmaðr. The correct English form is ombudsman, spelled O-M-B-U-D-S-M-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An appointed official whose duty is to investigate complaints, generally on behalf of individuals such as consumers or taxpayers, against institutions such as companies and government departments.
  2. 2
    A designated internal mediator in an organization whose duty is to assist members with conflict resolution and other problems and to serve as an independent consultant to recommend changes to policies or procedures to improve organization effectiveness, efficiency, and humaneness.

Etymology

Borrowed from Swedish ombudsman (equivalent to ombud (“representative, proxy”) + man), from Old Norse umboðsmaðr.

This word in other languages

mediador(Español)ombudsman(Français)Ombudsmann(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • mobudsman
  • obmudsman
  • ombbudsman
  • ombdusman
  • ombuddsman
  • ombudmsan
  • ombudsamn
  • ombudsmann
  • ombudsmman
  • ombudsmna
  • ombudssman
  • ombusdman
  • ommbudsman
  • omubdsman

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

mobudsman2obmudsman2ombbudsman1ombdusman2ombuddsman1ombudmsan2ombudsamn2ombudsmann1
Edit distance from "ombudsman"

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 "ombudsman"?
"ombudsman" is spelled O-M-B-U-D-S-M-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒmbədzmən/.
What does "ombudsman" mean?
As a noun, "ombudsman" means: An appointed official whose duty is to investigate complaints, generally on behalf of individuals such as consumers or taxpayers, against institutions such as companies and government departments.
What are common misspellings of "ombudsman"?
Common misspellings include "mobudsman", "obmudsman", "ombbudsman", "ombdusman", "ombuddsman". The correct spelling is "ombudsman".
How do you pronounce "ombudsman"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ombudsman" is /ˈɒmbədzmən/. 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 "ombudsman"?
Borrowed from Swedish ombudsman (equivalent to ombud (“representative, proxy”) + man), from Old Norse umboðsmaðr. 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.

Using “ombudsman”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is O-M-B-U-D-S-M-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɒmbədzmən/ (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

Same frequency band

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list