wheelbarrow

/ˈʍiːl.bæɹ.əʊ/

//ˈʍiːl.bæɹ.əʊ// noun

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

"wheelbarrow" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“wheelbarrow” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #44,017. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#44,017
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small, one-wheeled (or rarely, two-wheeled) cart with handles at one end for transporting small loads.

Corpus desk

Index EN-wheelbarrow · wheelbarrow · English

wheelbarrow · rank #44,017 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #44,017
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH Whipple

Nearest frequency peer: Whipple (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “wheelbarrow”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “wheelbarrow” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for wheelbarrow
PropertyValue
Headwordwheelbarrow
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʍiːl.bæɹ.əʊ/
Letters11
Frequency rank#44,017
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “wheelbarrow”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).wheelbarrowlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Whipple” (#44,018), “WIC” (#44,019), “wrangling” (#44,020). Among 1,759 “W” headwords, “wheelbarrow” is #44,017. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around wheelbarrow (IPA /ˈʍiːl.bæɹ.əʊ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #44,017 among 1,759 “W” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A small, one-wheeled (or rarely, two-wheeled) cart with handles at one end for transporting small loads.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for wheelbarrow, with forms such as "hweelbarrow", "wehelbarrow", and "wheeblarrow". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English whelbarwe; equivalent to wheel + barrow. The correct English form is wheelbarrow, spelled W-H-E-E-L-B-A-R-R-O-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small, one-wheeled (or rarely, two-wheeled) cart with handles at one end for transporting small loads.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. One day I was out in the barn and he drifted in. I was currying the horse and he set down on the wheelbarrow and begun to ask questions.
  2. Space for the concrete batching plant was found some little distance down the line, and from here a total of 60 tons of concrete was despatched in a wheelbarrow on a railway trolley.

Etymology

From Middle English whelbarwe; equivalent to wheel + barrow.

This word in other languages

carretilla(Español)brouette(Français)Schubkarre(Deutsch)carrinho de mão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hweelbarrow
  • wehelbarrow
  • wheeblarrow
  • wheelabrrow
  • wheelbarorw
  • wheelbarow
  • wheelbarroww
  • wheelbarrwo
  • wheelbbarrow
  • wheelbrarow
  • wheellbarrow
  • whelbarrow
  • whelebarrow
  • whheelbarrow
  • wwheelbarrow

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of wheelbarrow - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

hweelbarrow2wehelbarrow2wheeblarrow2wheelabrrow2wheelbarorw2wheelbarow1wheelbarroww1wheelbarrwo2
Edit distance from "wheelbarrow"

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 "wheelbarrow"?
"wheelbarrow" is spelled W-H-E-E-L-B-A-R-R-O-W. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʍiːl.bæɹ.əʊ/.
What does "wheelbarrow" mean?
As a noun, "wheelbarrow" means: A small, one-wheeled (or rarely, two-wheeled) cart with handles at one end for transporting small loads.
What are common misspellings of "wheelbarrow"?
Common misspellings include "hweelbarrow", "wehelbarrow", "wheeblarrow", "wheelabrrow", "wheelbarorw". The correct spelling is "wheelbarrow".
How do you pronounce "wheelbarrow"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wheelbarrow" is /ˈʍiːl.bæɹ.əʊ/. 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 "wheelbarrow"?
From Middle English whelbarwe; equivalent to wheel + barrow. 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 "wheelbarrow", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

unreachable#43,992blogosphere#44,086stethoscope#43,940Clarksville#44,120

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

wrangling15 variantssuperstore15 variantsbreakwater15 variantsBrookhaven15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list