Updike

/ˈʌpdaɪk/

//ˈʌpdaɪk// name

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

"updike" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Updike” is uncommon English (frequency #57,151 among 1,433 “U” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,151
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-updike · Updike · English

Updike · rank #57,151 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #57,151
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH unpaved

Nearest frequency peer: unpaved (-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 “Updike”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “Updike” 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 September 3, 2026
Key facts for Updike
PropertyValue
HeadwordUpdike
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈʌpdaɪk/
Letters6
Frequency rank#57,151
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Updike” 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). Updike lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

Updike is uncommon English at frequency #57,151 among 1,433 “U” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈʌpdaɪk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A surname from Dutch.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for Updike, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Dutch Opdijk. The correct English form is Updike, spelled U-P-D-I-K-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A surname from Dutch.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Adam Gopnik has, by many accounts, including his own, a lovely life. A longtime staff writer for the New Yorker and bestselling author, Gopnik lives in Manhattan with his wife, Martha, a film-maker, and their two children, and he moves in the kind of circles that allow him to drop casual lines into conversation such as: “As John Updike once said to me …”,…

Etymology

From Dutch Opdijk.

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 September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Updike"?
"Updike" is spelled U-P-D-I-K-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʌpdaɪk/.
What does "Updike" mean?
As a proper noun, "Updike" means: A surname from Dutch.
How do you pronounce "Updike"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Updike" is /ˈʌpdaɪk/. 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 "Updike"?
From Dutch Opdijk. 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 "Updike", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

velour#57,157twiggy#57,141vilify#57,161Tupper#57,140

What to do next

You've looked up "Updike". Here's where to go from here.

  • Usage frequency rank #57,151 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "U" letter cohort. U–Z browse
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PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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