Rotterdam

/ˈɹɒtə(ɹ)ˌdæm/

//ˈɹɒtə(ɹ)ˌdæm// name

"rotterdam" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Rotterdam” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,801. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,801
frequency rank, English
21,470
“R” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A city in South Holland, Netherlands.

Corpus desk

Index EN-rotterdam · Rotterdam · English

Rotterdam · rank #22,801 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #22,801
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 21,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Roxy

Nearest frequency peer: Roxy (+1 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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “Rotterdam”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “Rotterdam” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Rotterdam vs Rotherham
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Rotterdam
PropertyValue
HeadwordRotterdam
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈɹɒtə(ɹ)ˌdæm/
Letters9
Frequency rank#22,801
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Rotterdam” 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). Rotterdam lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around Rotterdam (IPA /ˈɹɒtə(ɹ)ˌdæm/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #22,801 among 21,470 “R” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for Rotterdam, with forms such as "ortterdam", "roterdam", and "rotetrdam". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Rotherham", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Dutch Rotterdam. The correct English form is Rotterdam, spelled R-O-T-T-E-R-D-A-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A city in South Holland, Netherlands.
  2. 2
    A municipality of South Holland, Netherlands.

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch Rotterdam.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ortterdam
  • roterdam
  • rotetrdam
  • rottedram
  • rotteradm
  • rotterdamm
  • rotterddam
  • rotterdma
  • rotterrdam
  • rottredam
  • rrotterdam
  • rtoterdam

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Rotterdam - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ortterdam2roterdam1rotetrdam2rottedram2rotteradm2rotterdamm1rotterddam1rotterdma2
Edit distance from "Rotterdam"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Rotterdam"?
"Rotterdam" is spelled R-O-T-T-E-R-D-A-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɒtə(ɹ)ˌdæm/.
What does "Rotterdam" mean?
As a proper noun, "Rotterdam" means: A city in South Holland, Netherlands.
What words are commonly confused with "Rotterdam"?
"Rotterdam" is commonly confused with "Rotherham". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Rotterdam"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Rotterdam" is /ˈɹɒtə(ɹ)ˌdæm/. 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 "Rotterdam"?
Borrowed from Dutch Rotterdam. 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 "Rotterdam", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

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