smorgasbord

/ˈsmɔːɡæs(ˌ)bɔːd/

//ˈsmɔːɡæs(ˌ)bɔːd// noun

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

"smorgasbord" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“smorgasbord” is uncommon English (frequency #58,370 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,370
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A Swedish-style buffet comprising a variety of cold sandwiches and other dishes; (by extension) any buffet with a wide selection of dishes.

Corpus desk

Index EN-smorgasbord · smorgasbord · English

smorgasbord · rank #58,370 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,370
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH snaked

Nearest frequency peer: snaked (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “smorgasbord”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “smorgasbord” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for smorgasbord
PropertyValue
Headwordsmorgasbord
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsmɔːɡæs(ˌ)bɔːd/
Letters11
Frequency rank#58,370
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “smorgasbord” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).smorgasbordfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “snaked” (#58,371), “snaking” (#58,372), “skint” (#58,367). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “smorgasbord” is #58,370. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

smorgasbord is uncommon English at frequency #58,370 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsmɔːɡæs(ˌ)bɔːd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for smorgasbord in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Swedish smörgåsbord (“buffet with many small dishes; smorgasbord”), from smörgås (“sandwich”) + bord (“table”). Smörgås is from Swedish smör (“butter”) + gås (“goose”), a reference to pieces of butter which float to the surface of milk when ch… The correct English form is smorgasbord, spelled S-M-O-R-G-A-S-B-O-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A Swedish-style buffet comprising a variety of cold sandwiches and other dishes; (by extension) any buffet with a wide selection of dishes.
  2. 2
    An abundant and diverse collection of things.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In the middle of the saloon they observed a small table set out with little dishes, containing bread and butter, sardines, pickled herrings, cheese, large baskets filled with rye biscuit, dark and untempting to Mabel's English eye, and the never failing brandy. Gathered around the smorgasbord were all the Swedes talking and eating most earnestly (all stan…
  2. In carrying out the Swedish luxury theme, tasty Scandinavian food will be served from the Stratocruiser galley. The lower-deck cocktail bar will feature smorgasbord snacks and drinks.

Etymology

Borrowed from Swedish smörgåsbord (“buffet with many small dishes; smorgasbord”), from smörgås (“sandwich”) + bord (“table”). Smörgås is from Swedish smör (“butter”) + gås (“goose”), a reference to pieces of butter which float to the surface of milk when churned.

This word in other languages

smórgasbord(Español)buffet(Français)Smörgåsbord(Deutsch)

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 "smorgasbord"?
"smorgasbord" is spelled S-M-O-R-G-A-S-B-O-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsmɔːɡæs(ˌ)bɔːd/.
What does "smorgasbord" mean?
As a noun, "smorgasbord" means: A Swedish-style buffet comprising a variety of cold sandwiches and other dishes; (by extension) any buffet with a wide selection of dishes.
How do you pronounce "smorgasbord"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "smorgasbord" is /ˈsmɔːɡæs(ˌ)bɔːd/. 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 "smorgasbord"?
Borrowed from Swedish smörgåsbord (“buffet with many small dishes; smorgasbord”), from smörgås (“sandwich”) + bord (“table”). Smörgås is from Swedish smör (“butter”) + gås (“goose”), a reference to pieces of butter which float to the surface of mi... 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 "smorgasbord", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

startlingly#58,387uninstalled#58,435Walthamstow#58,452Plantagenet#58,282

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list