wellspring

/ˈwɛlsprɪŋ/

//ˈwɛlsprɪŋ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“wellspring” is uncommon English (frequency #61,215 among 1,759 “W” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#61,215
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The source of water for a stream, spring or well; a fountainhead; a wellhead.

Corpus desk

Index EN-wellspring · wellspring · English

wellspring · rank #61,215 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #61,215
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH webby

Nearest frequency peer: webby (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “wellspring”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “wellspring” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for wellspring
PropertyValue
Headwordwellspring
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈwɛlsprɪŋ/
Letters10
Frequency rank#61,215
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “wellspring” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).wellspringfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “webby” (#61,214), “waypoint” (#61,213), “Wetzel” (#61,217). Among 1,759 “W” headwords, “wellspring” is #61,215. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

wellspring is uncommon English at frequency #61,215 among 1,759 “W” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈwɛlsprɪŋ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for wellspring in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English wellespring, from Old English wiellspring, wiellġespring (“spring, fount, fountain”), corresponding to well + spring. More at well, spring. The correct English form is wellspring, spelled W-E-L-L-S-P-R-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    The source of water for a stream, spring or well; a fountainhead; a wellhead.
  2. 2
    A perennial source of anything; a fountainhead of supply or emanation; resource.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We’re so often taught to simply believe in ourselves—to trust our instincts—that to see a narrative in which second-guessing oneself and refusing one’s deepest impulses is a potential wellspring of charity and good is, in itself, noteworthy.
  2. Krapp’s Last Tape has been acted by prisoners in San Quentin and made into a chamber opera. It goes to the wellspring of an actor. Well, most of the time: when Albert Finney played the part, Beckett went to sleep in rehearsals.

Etymology

From Middle English wellespring, from Old English wiellspring, wiellġespring (“spring, fount, fountain”), corresponding to well + spring. More at well, spring.

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 "wellspring"?
"wellspring" is spelled W-E-L-L-S-P-R-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɛlsprɪŋ/.
What does "wellspring" mean?
As a noun, "wellspring" means: The source of water for a stream, spring or well; a fountainhead; a wellhead.
How do you pronounce "wellspring"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wellspring" is /ˈwɛlsprɪŋ/. 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 "wellspring"?
From Middle English wellespring, from Old English wiellspring, wiellġespring (“spring, fount, fountain”), corresponding to well + spring. More at well, spring. 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 "wellspring", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

unlockable#61,192uncultured#61,189absorbance#61,243topologies#61,169

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list