underscore

/ˈʌn.dəˌskɔː(ɹ)/

//ˈʌn.dəˌskɔː(ɹ)// noun

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

"underscore" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“underscore” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,269. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,269
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A line drawn or printed beneath text; the character _.

Corpus desk

Index EN-underscore · underscore · English

underscore · rank #30,269 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #30,269
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH ug

Nearest frequency peer: ug (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “underscore”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “underscore” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for underscore
PropertyValue
Headwordunderscore
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʌn.dəˌskɔː(ɹ)/
Letters10
Frequency rank#30,269
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “underscore”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).underscorelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “ug” (#30,268), “tyrannical” (#30,267), “unusable” (#30,272). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “underscore” is #30,269. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around underscore (IPA /ˈʌn.dəˌskɔː(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #30,269 among 1,433 “U” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for underscore, with forms such as "nuderscore", "udnerscore", and "undderscore". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From under- + score. The correct English form is underscore, spelled U-N-D-E-R-S-C-O-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A line drawn or printed beneath text; the character _.
  2. 2
    A piece of background music.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. He walks into the house and picks up a pen. The thought he has is a brilliant idea. He must write it down. Only two words need to be written. The underscore adds importance. / BOUNTY HUNTER

Etymology

From under- + score.

This word in other languages

tiret bas(Français)Unterstreichung(Deutsch)underline(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nuderscore
  • udnerscore
  • undderscore
  • undercsore
  • underrscore
  • undersccore
  • underscoer
  • underscorre
  • underscroe
  • undersocre
  • undersscore
  • undesrcore
  • undrescore
  • unedrscore
  • unnderscore

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of underscore - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

nuderscore2udnerscore2undderscore1undercsore2underrscore1undersccore1underscoer2underscorre1
Edit distance from "underscore"

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 "underscore"?
"underscore" is spelled U-N-D-E-R-S-C-O-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʌn.dəˌskɔː(ɹ)/.
What does "underscore" mean?
As a noun, "underscore" means: A line drawn or printed beneath text; the character _.
What are common misspellings of "underscore"?
Common misspellings include "nuderscore", "udnerscore", "undderscore", "undercsore", "underrscore". The correct spelling is "underscore".
How do you pronounce "underscore"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "underscore" is /ˈʌn.dəˌskɔː(ɹ)/. 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 "underscore"?
From under- + score. 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 "underscore", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

tyrannical#30,267ventilator#30,278vertebrate#30,279weathering#30,286

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

antithesis15 variantsrecounting15 variantsposthumous15 variantschimpanzee15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list