whim

/wɪm/

//wɪm// noun

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

"whim" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“whim” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,266. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,266
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A fanciful impulse, or sudden change of idea.

Corpus desk

Index EN-whim · whim · English

whim · rank #20,266 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #20,266
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH whine

Nearest frequency peer: whine (+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 “whim”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “whim” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

whim vs wi
50% similar
whim vs who
50% similar
whim vs why
50% similar

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

Key facts for whim
PropertyValue
Headwordwhim
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/wɪm/
Letters4
Frequency rank#20,266
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “whim”

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).whimlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “whine” (#20,267), “waller” (#20,264), “waldo” (#20,263). Among 1,759 “W” headwords, “whim” is #20,266. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around whim (IPA /wɪm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #20,266 among 1,759 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for whim, with forms such as "hwim", "whhim", and "whimm". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "wi", "who", "why", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Clipping of whim-wham. The correct English form is whim, spelled W-H-I-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A fanciful impulse, or sudden change of idea.
  2. 2
    A large capstan or vertical drum turned by horse power or steam power, for raising ore or water, etc., from mines, or for other purposes

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Let ev’ry Man enjoy his whim; / What’s He to Me, or I to him?
  2. The king was tired of this whim of hers long ago, and thought she ought to get married like other people; there was nothing she need wait for, she was old enough and she would not be any richer either, for she was to have half the kingdom, which she inherited after her mother.

Etymology

Clipping of whim-wham.

Synonyms

larkespecially in phrase on a whimboutadecapricecapriccioconceitcrotchetdeliramentfancyfanglefigaryfliskfreakkinkmaggotmegrimspleentoyvagarywhimwhim-whamwhimsy

This word in other languages

capricho(Español)lubie(Français)Laune(Deutsch)inspiração(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hwim
  • whhim
  • whimm
  • whmi
  • wihm
  • wwhim

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of whim - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

hwim2whhim1whimm1whmi2wihm2wwhim1
Edit distance from "whim"

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 "whim"?
"whim" is spelled W-H-I-M. The IPA pronunciation is /wɪm/.
What does "whim" mean?
As a noun, "whim" means: A fanciful impulse, or sudden change of idea.
What words are commonly confused with "whim"?
"whim" is commonly confused with "wi", "who", "why". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "whim"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "whim" is /wɪm/. 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 "whim"?
Clipping of whim-wham. 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 "whim", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ying#20,273zeal#20,275skid#20,227situ#20,226

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Aidan6 variantsrosy6 variantscont6 variantsevoke6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list