wigwam

/ˈwɪɡwɑːm/

//ˈwɪɡwɑːm// noun

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

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

The verdict

“wigwam” is uncommon English (frequency #68,756 among 1,759 “W” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#68,756
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A dwelling having an arched framework overlaid with bark, hides, or mats, used by Native Americans in the northeastern United States.

Corpus desk

Index EN-wigwam · wigwam · English

wigwam · rank #68,756 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #68,756
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH wielder

Nearest frequency peer: wielder (-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 “wigwam”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for wigwam
PropertyValue
Headwordwigwam
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈwɪɡwɑːm/
Letters6
Frequency rank#68,756
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “wigwam” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).wigwamfalls 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: “wielder” (#68,755), “winningest” (#68,757), “Wetherby” (#68,753). Among 1,759 “W” headwords, “wigwam” is #68,756. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

wigwam is uncommon English at frequency #68,756 among 1,759 “W” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈwɪɡwɑːm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

wigwam doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Abenaki wigwôm (“house”) or Penobscot wigwom (“house”), from Proto-Algonquian *wi·kiwa·ʔmi (“house”). Doublet of wickiup. The correct English form is wigwam, spelled W-I-G-W-A-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A dwelling having an arched framework overlaid with bark, hides, or mats, used by Native Americans in the northeastern United States.
  2. 2
    Any more or less similar dwelling used by indigenous people in other parts of the world.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Their houſes or wigwams, which they call carbets, are built as I have already deſcribed thoſe of the negroes; but inſtead of being covered with the leaves of the manicole-tree, they are covered with the leaves of rattans or jointed canes, here called tas, which grow in cluſters in all marſhy places: [...]
  2. The Fuegian wigwam resembles, in size and dimensions, a haycock. It merely consists of a few broken branches stuck in the ground, and very imperfectly thatched on one side with a few tufts of grass and rushes.

Etymology

Borrowed from Abenaki wigwôm (“house”) or Penobscot wigwom (“house”), from Proto-Algonquian *wi·kiwa·ʔmi (“house”). Doublet of wickiup.

This word in other languages

toldo(Español)wigwam(Français)Wigwam(Deutsch)

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 "wigwam"?
"wigwam" is spelled W-I-G-W-A-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɪɡwɑːm/.
What does "wigwam" mean?
As a noun, "wigwam" means: A dwelling having an arched framework overlaid with bark, hides, or mats, used by Native Americans in the northeastern United States.
How do you pronounce "wigwam"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wigwam" is /ˈwɪɡwɑːm/. 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 "wigwam"?
Borrowed from Abenaki wigwôm (“house”) or Penobscot wigwom (“house”), from Proto-Algonquian *wi·kiwa·ʔmi (“house”). Doublet of wickiup. 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 "wigwam", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Yaakov#68,770abbeys#68,795abuela#68,800adepts#68,804

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list