quagmire

/ˈkwæɡ.maɪə(ɹ)/

//ˈkwæɡ.maɪə(ɹ)// noun

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

"quagmire" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“quagmire” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,504. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,504
frequency rank, English
288
“Q” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A swampy, soggy area of ground.

Corpus desk

Index EN-quagmire · quagmire · English

quagmire · rank #39,504 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #39,504
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 288
  • PHOTO-FINISH purr

Nearest frequency peer: purr (-2 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “quagmire”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “quagmire” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for quagmire
PropertyValue
Headwordquagmire
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkwæɡ.maɪə(ɹ)/
Letters8
Frequency rank#39,504
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “quagmire”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “purr” (#39,502), “quash” (#39,506), “punchy” (#39,501). Among 288 “Q” headwords, “quagmire” is #39,504. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around quagmire (IPA /ˈkwæɡ.maɪə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #39,504 among 288 “Q” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for quagmire, with forms such as "qaugmire", "qquagmire", and "quaggmire". 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. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Recorded since 1579, from quag + mire. The sense “perilous, mixed up and troubled situation” has been recorded since 1775. Alternatively, the word may apparently be a variation of the earlier quakemire, from quake + mire. Compare typologically Bulgarian тре… The correct English form is quagmire, spelled Q-U-A-G-M-I-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A swampy, soggy area of ground.
  2. 2
    A perilous, mixed up and troubled situation; a hopeless tangle.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how quagmire appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. That quagmire regularly ‘swallows’ caught-up hikers’ boots
  2. Never did I see a more dreary and depressing scene. Miles on miles of quagmire, varied only by bright green strips of comparatively solid ground, and by deep and sullen pools fringed with tall rushes, in which the bitterns boomed and the frogs croaked incessantly: miles on miles of it without a break, unless the fever fog can be called a break.

Etymology

Recorded since 1579, from quag + mire. The sense “perilous, mixed up and troubled situation” has been recorded since 1775. Alternatively, the word may apparently be a variation of the earlier quakemire, from quake + mire. Compare typologically Bulgarian тресавище (tresavište), Polish trzęsawisko, Russian тряси́на (trjasína) (akin to трясти́ (trjastí)); зыбь (zybʹ), зыбу́н (zybún) (<… Proto-Slavic *zybь).

This word in other languages

pantano(Español)bourbier(Français)Sumpf(Deutsch)pântano(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • qaugmire
  • qquagmire
  • quaggmire
  • quagimre
  • quagmier
  • quagmirre
  • quagmmire
  • quagmrie
  • quamgire
  • qugamire
  • uqagmire

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

qaugmire2qquagmire1quaggmire1quagimre2quagmier2quagmirre1quagmmire1quagmrie2
Edit distance from "quagmire"

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 "quagmire"?
"quagmire" is spelled Q-U-A-G-M-I-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkwæɡ.maɪə(ɹ)/.
What does "quagmire" mean?
As a noun, "quagmire" means: A swampy, soggy area of ground.
What are common misspellings of "quagmire"?
Common misspellings include "qaugmire", "qquagmire", "quaggmire", "quagimre", "quagmier". The correct spelling is "quagmire".
How do you pronounce "quagmire"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "quagmire" is /ˈkwæɡ.maɪə(ɹ)/. 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 "quagmire"?
Recorded since 1579, from quag + mire. The sense “perilous, mixed up and troubled situation” has been recorded since 1775. Alternatively, the word may apparently be a variation of the earlier quakemire, from quake + mire. Compare typologically Bul... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "quagmire", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

pocketed#39,484ricochet#39,535savagely#39,542Oliveira#39,465

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

rackets11 variantspreterm11 variantsrestful11 variantsPeckham11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list