Potawatomi

/ˌpɔtəˈwɑtəmi/

//ˌpɔtəˈwɑtəmi// noun

"potawatomi" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Potawatomi” is uncommon English (frequency #99,718 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#99,718
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A member of a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region.

Key facts for Potawatomi
PropertyValue
HeadwordPotawatomi
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌpɔtəˈwɑtəmi/
Letters10
Frequency rank#99,718
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Potawatomi” 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). Potawatomi lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

Potawatomi is uncommon English at frequency #99,718 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌpɔtəˈwɑtəmi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A member of a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for Potawatomi, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. 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: Borrowed from Ojibwe boodawaadamii or Potawatomi Bodéwademi (“those who tend the fire”) (unsyncoped form of Bodéwadmi), from boodawaadam/bodewadm (“hearth”). The correct English form is Potawatomi, spelled P-O-T-A-W-A-T-O-M-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    A member of a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region.

Etymology

Borrowed from Ojibwe boodawaadamii or Potawatomi Bodéwademi (“those who tend the fire”) (unsyncoped form of Bodéwadmi), from boodawaadam/bodewadm (“hearth”).

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); 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 "Potawatomi"?
"Potawatomi" is spelled P-O-T-A-W-A-T-O-M-I. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpɔtəˈwɑtəmi/.
What does "Potawatomi" mean?
As a noun, "Potawatomi" means: A member of a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region.
How do you pronounce "Potawatomi"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Potawatomi" is /ˌpɔtəˈwɑtəmi/. 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 "Potawatomi"?
Borrowed from Ojibwe boodawaadamii or Potawatomi Bodéwademi (“those who tend the fire”) (unsyncoped form of Bodéwadmi), from boodawaadam/bodewadm (“hearth”). 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 “Potawatomi”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-O-T-A-W-A-T-O-M-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌpɔtəˈwɑtəmi/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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