walrus

/ˈwɔːl.ɹəs/

//ˈwɔːl.ɹəs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“walrus” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,886 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#29,886
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A large Arctic marine mammal related to seals and having long tusks, tough, wrinkled skin, and four flippers, Odobenus rosmarus.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

walrus vs wars
67% similar
walrus vs wares
67% similar
walrus vs walls
67% similar

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

Key facts for walrus
PropertyValue
Headwordwalrus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈwɔːl.ɹəs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#29,886
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “walrus” 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). walrus 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 walrus is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈwɔːl.ɹəs/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,886 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for walrus, with forms such as "awlrus", "wallrus", and "walrrus". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "wars", "wares", "walls", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Probably borrowed from Dutch walrus, a compound of wal (“whale”) and ros (“horse”). Displaced native Old English horshwæl (literally “horse-whale”). Compare similar constructions in Danish hvalros, Old Norse hrosshvalr, and German Walross. The correct English form is walrus, spelled W-A-L-R-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large Arctic marine mammal related to seals and having long tusks, tough, wrinkled skin, and four flippers, Odobenus rosmarus.
  2. 2
    A man with a walrus moustache.

Etymology

Probably borrowed from Dutch walrus, a compound of wal (“whale”) and ros (“horse”). Displaced native Old English horshwæl (literally “horse-whale”). Compare similar constructions in Danish hvalros, Old Norse hrosshvalr, and German Walross.

This word in other languages

morsa(Español)morse(Français)Walross(Deutsch)morsa(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: awlrus,wallrus,walrrus,walrsu,walruss,walurs,warlus,wlarus,wwalrus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of walrus - 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.

awlrus2wallrus1walrrus1walrsu2walruss1walurs2warlus2wlarus2
Edit distance from "walrus"

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 "walrus"?
"walrus" is spelled W-A-L-R-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɔːl.ɹəs/.
What does "walrus" mean?
As a noun, "walrus" means: A large Arctic marine mammal related to seals and having long tusks, tough, wrinkled skin, and four flippers, Odobenus rosmarus.
What words are commonly confused with "walrus"?
"walrus" is commonly confused with "wars", "wares", "walls". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "walrus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "walrus" is /ˈwɔːl.ɹəs/. 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 "walrus"?
Probably borrowed from Dutch walrus, a compound of wal (“whale”) and ros (“horse”). Displaced native Old English horshwæl (literally “horse-whale”). Compare similar constructions in Danish hvalros, Old Norse hrosshvalr, and German Walross. 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 “walrus”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-A-L-R-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwɔːl.ɹəs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “wars” - see the side-by-side comparison. walrus vs wars
  • 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