umbilicus

/ˌʌmˈbɪlɪkəs/

//ˌʌmˈbɪlɪkəs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“umbilicus” is uncommon English (frequency #68,715 among 1,433 “U” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#68,715
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A navel.

Corpus desk

Index EN-umbilicus · umbilicus · English

umbilicus · rank #68,715 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #68,715
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH ume

Nearest frequency peer: ume (+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 “umbilicus”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for umbilicus
PropertyValue
Headwordumbilicus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌʌmˈbɪlɪkəs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#68,715
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “umbilicus” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).umbilicusfalls 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: “ume” (#68,716), “uncivil” (#68,717), “twining” (#68,712). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “umbilicus” is #68,715. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

umbilicus is uncommon English at frequency #68,715 among 1,433 “U” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌʌmˈbɪlɪkəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 9 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for umbilicus, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin umbilīcus (“navel”). The correct English form is umbilicus, spelled U-M-B-I-L-I-C-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A navel.
  2. 2
    Umbilical cord
  3. 3
    A hilum.
  4. 4
    A depression or opening in the center of the base of many spiral shells.
  5. 5
    Either of the two apertures in the calamus of a feather.
  6. 6
    A tube connecting an astronaut or spacecraft to the mothership, through which supplies and samples can be transferred.
  7. 7
    One of the foci of an ellipse or other curve.
  8. 8
    A point of a surface at which the curvatures of the normal sections are all equal to each other.
  9. 9
    An ornamented or painted ball or boss fastened at each end of the stick on which manuscripts were rolled.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Although I have been tempted to cut the umbilicus, and pass a ligature round the remaining portion on one occasion, yet I now deem such interference officious and uncalled - for at this eventful period.
  2. She ate the umbilicus, and the afterbirth, which is supposed to be good for them. Then she licked off the first kitten and was ready for the next.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin umbilīcus (“navel”).

Synonyms

omphalosomphalus

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 "umbilicus"?
"umbilicus" is spelled U-M-B-I-L-I-C-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌʌmˈbɪlɪkəs/.
What does "umbilicus" mean?
As a noun, "umbilicus" means: A navel.
How do you pronounce "umbilicus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "umbilicus" is /ˌʌmˈbɪlɪkəs/. 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 "umbilicus"?
Borrowed from Latin umbilīcus (“navel”). 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 "umbilicus", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

unsavoury#68,727topically#68,700Tachibana#68,679submitter#68,666

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list