voyeur

/vɔɪːˈjɜː/

//vɔɪːˈjɜː// noun

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

The verdict

“voyeur” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,986. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,986
frequency rank, English
7,391
“V” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person who derives sexual pleasure from observing other people engaging in some intimate or sexual activity; one who engages in voyeurism.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

voyeur vs voter
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for voyeur
PropertyValue
Headwordvoyeur
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/vɔɪːˈjɜː/
Letters6
Frequency rank#42,986
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “voyeur” 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). voyeur lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around voyeur (IPA /vɔɪːˈjɜː/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,986 among 7,391 “V” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for voyeur, with forms such as "ovyeur", "voeyur", and "voyeru". 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. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "voter", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French voyeur, from voir (“to see”). The correct English form is voyeur, spelled V-O-Y-E-U-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who derives sexual pleasure from observing other people engaging in some intimate or sexual activity; one who engages in voyeurism.
  2. 2
    An obsessive observer of sensational or sordid subjects.

Etymology

From French voyeur, from voir (“to see”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ovyeur
  • voeyur
  • voyeru
  • voyeurr
  • voyuer
  • voyyeur
  • vvoyeur
  • vyoeur

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of voyeur - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ovyeur2voeyur2voyeru2voyeurr1voyuer2voyyeur1vvoyeur1vyoeur2
Edit distance from "voyeur"

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 "voyeur"?
"voyeur" is spelled V-O-Y-E-U-R. The IPA pronunciation is /vɔɪːˈjɜː/.
What does "voyeur" mean?
As a noun, "voyeur" means: A person who derives sexual pleasure from observing other people engaging in some intimate or sexual activity; one who engages in voyeurism.
What words are commonly confused with "voyeur"?
"voyeur" is commonly confused with "voter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "voyeur"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "voyeur" is /vɔɪːˈjɜː/. 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 "voyeur"?
From French voyeur, from voir (“to see”). 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 “voyeur”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is V-O-Y-E-U-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /vɔɪːˈjɜː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “voter” - see the side-by-side comparison. voyeur vs voter
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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