volleyball

/ˈvɒlibɔ(ː)l/

//ˈvɒlibɔ(ː)l// noun

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

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

The verdict

“volleyball” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,005 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#9,005
frequency rank, English
10
letters
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A game played on a rectangular court between two teams of two to six players which involves striking a ball back and forth over a net.

Key facts for volleyball
PropertyValue
Headwordvolleyball
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈvɒlibɔ(ː)l/
Letters10
Frequency rank#9,005
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “volleyball” 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). volleyball lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for volleyball is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈvɒlibɔ(ː)l/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,005 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for volleyball, with forms such as "ovlleyball", "vloleyball", and "volelyball". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From volley + ball. In 1895, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, William G. Morgan created a new game called Mintonette, a name derived from the game of badminton. After an observer, Alfred Halstead, noticed the volleying nature of the game at its first exhibition m… The correct English form is volleyball, spelled V-O-L-L-E-Y-B-A-L-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A game played on a rectangular court between two teams of two to six players which involves striking a ball back and forth over a net.
  2. 2
    The inflated ball used in such a game.

Etymology

From volley + ball. In 1895, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, William G. Morgan created a new game called Mintonette, a name derived from the game of badminton. After an observer, Alfred Halstead, noticed the volleying nature of the game at its first exhibition match in 1896, played at the International YMCA Training School (now called Springfield College), the game quickly became known as volleyball (it was originally spelled as two words: "volley ball")

This word in other languages

voleibol(Español)volley-ball(Français)Volleyball(Deutsch)voleibol(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ovlleyball,vloleyball,volelyball,voleyball,vollebyall,volleyabll,volleybal,volleybball,volleyblal,volleyyball,vollyeball,vvolleyball

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of volleyball - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ovlleyball2vloleyball2volelyball2voleyball1vollebyall2volleyabll2volleybal1volleybball1
Edit distance from "volleyball"

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 "volleyball"?
"volleyball" is spelled V-O-L-L-E-Y-B-A-L-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvɒlibɔ(ː)l/.
What does "volleyball" mean?
As a noun, "volleyball" means: A game played on a rectangular court between two teams of two to six players which involves striking a ball back and forth over a net.
What are common misspellings of "volleyball"?
Common misspellings include "ovlleyball", "vloleyball", "volelyball", "voleyball", "vollebyall". The correct spelling is "volleyball".
How do you pronounce "volleyball"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "volleyball" is /ˈvɒlibɔ(ː)l/. 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 "volleyball"?
From volley + ball. In 1895, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, William G. Morgan created a new game called Mintonette, a name derived from the game of badminton. After an observer, Alfred Halstead, noticed the volleying nature of the game at its first ex... 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.

Using “volleyball”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is V-O-L-L-E-Y-B-A-L-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈvɒlibɔ(ː)l/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list