underscore
/ˈʌn.dəˌskɔː(ɹ)/
"underscore" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“underscore” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #30,269 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #30,269
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
- 15
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A line drawn or printed beneath text; the character _.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | underscore |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈʌn.dəˌskɔː(ɹ)/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #30,269 |
| Misspellings tracked | 15 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “underscore” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for underscore is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈʌn.dəˌskɔː(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #30,269 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. 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 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
- 1A line drawn or printed beneath text; the character _.
- 2A piece of background music.
Etymology
From under- + score.
This word in other languages
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.
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"?
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Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “underscore”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is U-N-D-E-R-S-C-O-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈʌn.dəˌskɔː(ɹ)/ (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.