ragweed

/ˈɹæɡˌwid/

//ˈɹæɡˌwid// noun

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

"ragweed" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ragweed” is uncommon English (frequency #75,334 among 21,470 “R” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,334
frequency rank, English
21,470
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A plant of the genus Ambrosia. These weeds are particularly noted for producing pollen that triggers hay fever.

Key facts for ragweed
PropertyValue
Headwordragweed
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹæɡˌwid/
Letters7
Frequency rank#75,334
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ragweed” 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). ragweed 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

ragweed is uncommon English at frequency #75,334 among 21,470 “R” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɹæɡˌwid/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

ragweed has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From rag + weed. Compare Middle English ragwed (“butcher's broom”). The correct English form is ragweed, spelled R-A-G-W-E-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A plant of the genus Ambrosia. These weeds are particularly noted for producing pollen that triggers hay fever.
  2. 2
    A summer cypress, mock cypress (Bassia scoparia).

Etymology

From rag + weed. Compare Middle English ragwed (“butcher's broom”).

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 "ragweed"?
"ragweed" is spelled R-A-G-W-E-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹæɡˌwid/.
What does "ragweed" mean?
As a noun, "ragweed" means: A plant of the genus Ambrosia. These weeds are particularly noted for producing pollen that triggers hay fever.
How do you pronounce "ragweed"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ragweed" is /ˈɹæɡˌwid/. 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 "ragweed"?
From rag + weed. Compare Middle English ragwed (“butcher's broom”). 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 “ragweed”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-A-G-W-E-E-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹæɡˌwid/ (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list