referendum
/ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/
"referendum" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“referendum” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,382 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #7,382
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
- 15
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A direct popular vote on a proposed law or constitutional amendment.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | referendum |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #7,382 |
| Misspellings tracked | 15 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “referendum” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for referendum is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,382 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for referendum, with forms such as "erferendum", "reefrendum", and "refeerndum". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin referendum (“that which ought to be announced”), from refero (“to announce”). The correct English form is referendum, spelled R-E-F-E-R-E-N-D-U-M.
Definition
- 1A direct popular vote on a proposed law or constitutional amendment.
- 2An action, choice, etc., which is perceived as passing judgment on another matter.
Etymology
From Latin referendum (“that which ought to be announced”), from refero (“to announce”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: erferendum,reefrendum,refeerndum,referednum,referenddum,referendmu,referendumm,referenndum,referenudm,refernedum,referrendum,refferendum,refreendum,rfeerendum,rreferendum
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of referendum - 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
How do you spell "referendum"?
What does "referendum" mean?
What are common misspellings of "referendum"?
How do you pronounce "referendum"?
What is the origin of the word "referendum"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “referendum”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is R-E-F-E-R-E-N-D-U-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌɹɛfəˈɹɛndəm/ (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
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.