ponder
/ˈpɒn.də(ɹ)/
"ponder" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“ponder” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,399 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #18,399
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 9
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To wonder, think of deeply.
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 | ponder |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈpɒn.də(ɹ)/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #18,399 |
| Misspellings tracked | 9 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “ponder” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for ponder is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɒn.də(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,399 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 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 ponder, with forms such as "opnder", "pnoder", and "podner". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "power", "Ponte", "poser", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ponderen, from Old French ponderer (“to weigh, balance, ponder”) from Latin ponderāre (“to weigh, ponder”), from pondus (“weight”), from pendere (“to weigh”); see pendent and pound. The correct English form is ponder, spelled P-O-N-D-E-R.
Definition
- 1To wonder, think of deeply.
- 2To consider (something) carefully and thoroughly.
- 3To weigh.
Etymology
From Middle English ponderen, from Old French ponderer (“to weigh, balance, ponder”) from Latin ponderāre (“to weigh, ponder”), from pondus (“weight”), from pendere (“to weigh”); see pendent and pound.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: opnder,pnoder,podner,pondder,ponderr,pondre,ponedr,ponnder,pponder
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ponder - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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 “ponder”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-O-N-D-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpɒn.də(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “power” - see the side-by-side comparison. ponder vs power
- 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.