voodoo
/ˈvuːduː/
"voodoo" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“voodoo” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,828 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #16,828
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 7
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of a group of related religious practices found chiefly in and around the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti and Louisiana.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | voodoo |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈvuːduː/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #16,828 |
| Misspellings tracked | 7 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “voodoo” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for voodoo is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈvuːduː/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,828 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for voodoo, with forms such as "ovodoo", "vodoo", and "vodooo". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Louisiana Creole voudou, from Haitian Creole Vodou, from a West African language, such as Ewe vódũ (“deity, idol”), Fon vòdún (“fetish”) or the Kwa languages vodũ. The correct English form is voodoo, spelled V-O-O-D-O-O.
Definition
- 1Any of a group of related religious practices found chiefly in and around the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti and Louisiana.
- 2The spiritual beliefs of the Ewe/Fon of West Africa, practiced chiefly in Benin and in the south of Togo.
- 3Any sort of magical or irrational approach to a problem.
- 4One who practices voodoo; a native sorcerer.
Etymology
From Louisiana Creole voudou, from Haitian Creole Vodou, from a West African language, such as Ewe vódũ (“deity, idol”), Fon vòdún (“fetish”) or the Kwa languages vodũ.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ovodoo,vodoo,vodooo,vooddoo,voodo,vooodo,vvoodoo
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of voodoo - 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.
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 "voodoo"?
What does "voodoo" mean?
What are common misspellings of "voodoo"?
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Using “voodoo”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is V-O-O-D-O-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈvuːduː/ (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.