voodoo

/ˈvuːduː/

//ˈvuːduː// noun

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

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

The verdict

“voodoo” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,828. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,828
frequency rank, English
969
“V” headwords
7
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of a group of related religious practices found chiefly in and around the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti and Louisiana.

Corpus desk

Index EN-voodoo · voodoo · English

voodoo · rank #16,828 · 7 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,828
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 969
  • PHOTO-FINISH Wigan

Nearest frequency peer: Wigan (+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 “voodoo”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “voodoo” 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 voodoo
PropertyValue
Headwordvoodoo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈvuːduː/
Letters6
Frequency rank#16,828
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “voodoo”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).voodoolands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Wigan” (#16,829), “visionary” (#16,826), “wilder” (#16,830). Among 969 “V” headwords, “voodoo” is #16,828. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around voodoo (IPA /ˈvuːduː/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,828 among 969 “V” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

  1. 1
    Any of a group of related religious practices found chiefly in and around the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti and Louisiana.
  2. 2
    The spiritual beliefs of the Ewe/Fon of West Africa, practiced chiefly in Benin and in the south of Togo.
  3. 3
    Any sort of magical or irrational approach to a problem.
  4. 4
    One who practices voodoo; a native sorcerer.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. You cannot understand Haitian Vodou as it is practised today without first knowing something about the culture from which it sprang, and the ways history has shaped religion, and vice versa.
  2. I want a real explanation, not this statistical voodoo.

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

voodooism

This word in other languages

vudú(Español)vaudou(Français)Voodoo(Deutsch)

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.

ovodoo2vodoo1vodooo2vooddoo1voodo1vooodo2vvoodoo1
Edit distance from "voodoo"

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"?
"voodoo" is spelled V-O-O-D-O-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈvuːduː/.
What does "voodoo" mean?
As a noun, "voodoo" means: Any of a group of related religious practices found chiefly in and around the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti and Louisiana.
What are common misspellings of "voodoo"?
Common misspellings include "ovodoo", "vodoo", "vodooo", "vooddoo", "voodo". The correct spelling is "voodoo".
How do you pronounce "voodoo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "voodoo" is /ˈvuːduː/. 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 "voodoo"?
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. 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 "voodoo", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

wilder#16,830Virgil#16,825turret#16,813biking#16,851

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Wigan7 variantsBarca7 variantsrotor7 variantsConan7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list