Wilson

Name: Wilson, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈwɪlsən/

//ˈwɪlsən// name

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“Wilson” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,871 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#2,871
frequency rank, English: 6
letters: 9
tracked misspellings: 10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An English, Scottish and northern Irish surname originating as a patronymic.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Wilson vs Wilton

83% similar

Wilson vs Winton

67% similar

Wilson vs Winston

71% similar

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

Key facts for Wilson
Property	Value
Headword	Wilson
Language	English
Part of speech	Proper noun
IPA	/ˈwɪlsən/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#2,871
Misspellings tracked	9
Confusable pairs	10
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Wilson” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Wilson lands here:

#2,871

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for Wilson is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈwɪlsən/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,871 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 27 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for Wilson, with forms such as "iwlson", "willson", and "wilosn". 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. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "Wilton", "Winton", "Winston", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Will (short form of William) + -son. The correct English form is Wilson, spelled W-I-L-S-O-N.

Definition

1
An English, Scottish and northern Irish surname originating as a patronymic.
2
A male given name transferred from the surname.
3
A number of places in the United States:
4
A number of places in the United States:
5
A number of places in the United States:
6
A number of places in the United States:
7
A number of places in the United States:
8
A number of places in the United States:
9
A number of places in the United States:
10
A number of places in the United States:
11
A number of places in the United States:
12
A number of places in the United States:
13
A number of places in the United States:
14
A number of places in the United States:
15
A number of places in the United States:
16
A number of places in the United States:
17
A number of places in the United States:
18
A number of places in the United States:
19
A number of places in the United States:
20
A number of places in the United States:
21
A number of places in the United States:
22
A number of places in the United States:
23
A number of places in the United States:
24
A number of places in the United States:
25
A small village in Breedon on the Hill parish, North West Leicestershire district, Leicestershire, England (OS grid ref SK4024).
26
A locality in Kanyaka, South Australia.
27
A suburb of Perth, in the City of Canning, Western Australia.

Etymology

From Will (short form of William) + -son.

This word in other languages

Wilson(Français)Wilson(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: iwlson,willson,wilosn,wilsno,wilsonn,wilsson,wislon,wlison,wwilson

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "Wilson"

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 "Wilson"?

"Wilson" is spelled W-I-L-S-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɪlsən/.

What does "Wilson" mean?

As a proper noun, "Wilson" means: An English, Scottish and northern Irish surname originating as a patronymic.

What words are commonly confused with "Wilson"?

"Wilson" is commonly confused with "Wilton", "Winton", "Winston". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "Wilson"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Wilson" is /ˈwɪlsən/. 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 "Wilson"?

From Will (short form of William) + -son. 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.

Using “Wilson”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is W-I-L-S-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈwɪlsən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “Wilton” - see the side-by-side comparison. Wilson vs Wilton
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.