whatnot
/ˈwɒt.nɒt/
"whatnot" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“whatnot” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,144 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #29,144
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 11
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A small unspecified object; bric-a-brac (in plural).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | whatnot |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈwɒt.nɒt/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #29,144 |
| Misspellings tracked | 11 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “whatnot” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for whatnot is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈwɒt.nɒt/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,144 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for whatnot, with forms such as "hwatnot", "wahtnot", and "whantot". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From what + not. The correct English form is whatnot, spelled W-H-A-T-N-O-T.
Definition
- 1A small unspecified object; bric-a-brac (in plural).
- 2Other related objects or ideas.
- 3A freestanding set of shelves on which ornaments are displayed; an etagere.
Etymology
From what + not.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: hwatnot,wahtnot,whantot,whatnnot,whatnott,whatnto,whatont,whattnot,whhatnot,whtanot,wwhatnot
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of whatnot - 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.
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 "whatnot"?
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Using “whatnot”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is W-H-A-T-N-O-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈwɒt.nɒt/ (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
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.