wallflower

/ˈwɔːlˌflaʊ.ə/

//ˈwɔːlˌflaʊ.ə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“wallflower” is uncommon English (frequency #53,331 among 12,113 “W” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,331
frequency rank, English
12,113
“W” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of several short-lived herbs or shrubs of the Erysimum genus with bright yellow to red flowers.

Key facts for wallflower
PropertyValue
Headwordwallflower
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈwɔːlˌflaʊ.ə/
Letters10
Frequency rank#53,331
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wallflower” 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). wallflower 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

wallflower is uncommon English at frequency #53,331 among 12,113 “W” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈwɔːlˌflaʊ.ə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for wallflower in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From wall + flower. The correct English form is wallflower, spelled W-A-L-L-F-L-O-W-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of several short-lived herbs or shrubs of the Erysimum genus with bright yellow to red flowers.
  2. 2
    Gastrolobium grandiflorum, a poisonous bushy shrub, endemic to Australia.
  3. 3
    A person who does not dance at a party, due to shyness or unpopularity; by extension, anyone who is left on the sidelines while an activity takes place.
  4. 4
    Any person who is socially awkward, shy, or reserved.

Etymology

From wall + flower.

This word in other languages

alhelí(Español)vélar(Français)Mauerblümchen(Deutsch)

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 "wallflower"?
"wallflower" is spelled W-A-L-L-F-L-O-W-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɔːlˌflaʊ.ə/.
What does "wallflower" mean?
As a noun, "wallflower" means: Any of several short-lived herbs or shrubs of the Erysimum genus with bright yellow to red flowers.
How do you pronounce "wallflower"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wallflower" is /ˈwɔːlˌflaʊ.ə/. 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 "wallflower"?
From wall + flower. 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 “wallflower”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-A-L-L-F-L-O-W-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwɔːlˌflaʊ.ə/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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