pompom

/ˈpɒmpɒm/

//ˈpɒmpɒm// noun

"pompom" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pompom” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A ball made of pieces of soft fabric, tinsel, plastic, or paper streamers, tied together in the middle and left loose at the ends, used as decoration or as a showy prop for cheerleading.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pompom · pompom · English

pompom · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" 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.

Key facts for pompom
PropertyValue
Headwordpompom
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɒmpɒm/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “pompom” in English

pompomranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

pompom is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɒmpɒm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A ball made of pieces of soft fabric, tinsel, plastic, or paper streamers, tied together in the middle and left loose at the ends, used as decoration or as a showy prop for cheerleading.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for pompom, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Alteration of pompon, from French pompon (“ornamental tuft”); of unknown origin, perhaps related to Old French pomp. The correct English form is pompom, spelled P-O-M-P-O-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A ball made of pieces of soft fabric, tinsel, plastic, or paper streamers, tied together in the middle and left loose at the ends, used as decoration or as a showy prop for cheerleading.

Etymology

Alteration of pompon, from French pompon (“ornamental tuft”); of unknown origin, perhaps related to Old French pomp.

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

How do you spell "pompom"?
"pompom" is spelled P-O-M-P-O-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɒmpɒm/.
What does "pompom" mean?
As a noun, "pompom" means: A ball made of pieces of soft fabric, tinsel, plastic, or paper streamers, tied together in the middle and left loose at the ends, used as decoration or as a showy prop for cheerleading.
How do you pronounce "pompom"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pompom" is /ˈpɒmpɒm/. 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 "pompom"?
Alteration of pompon, from French pompon (“ornamental tuft”); of unknown origin, perhaps related to Old French pomp. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list