Wiltshire

/ˈwɪlt.ʃə(ɹ)/

//ˈwɪlt.ʃə(ɹ)// name

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

"wiltshire" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Wiltshire” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,017. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,017
frequency rank, English
12,113
“W” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An inland county of England bordered by Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Berkshire.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Wiltshire vs Wilshire
89% similar

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

Key facts for Wiltshire
PropertyValue
HeadwordWiltshire
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈwɪlt.ʃə(ɹ)/
Letters9
Frequency rank#20,017
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Wiltshire” 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). Wiltshire lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around Wiltshire (IPA /ˈwɪlt.ʃə(ɹ)/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #20,017 among 12,113 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for Wiltshire, with forms such as "iwltshire", "willtshire", and "wilsthire". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Wilshire", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English Wilteschire, from Old English Wiltūnsċīr (Wiltescire 1086 Domesday Book), named after the town of Wilton in the county (Old English Wiltūn). The correct English form is Wiltshire, spelled W-I-L-T-S-H-I-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An inland county of England bordered by Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Berkshire.
  2. 2
    A unitary authority of the county of Wiltshire, England which includes all of the traditional county except Swindon, a separate unitary authority.
  3. 3
    A locality in Circular Head Council, north western Tasmania, Australia.
  4. 4
    A habitational surname from Old English.

Etymology

From Middle English Wilteschire, from Old English Wiltūnsċīr (Wiltescire 1086 Domesday Book), named after the town of Wilton in the county (Old English Wiltūn).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iwltshire
  • willtshire
  • wilsthire
  • wilthsire
  • wiltshhire
  • wiltshier
  • wiltshirre
  • wiltshrie
  • wiltsihre
  • wiltsshire
  • wilttshire
  • witlshire
  • wlitshire
  • wwiltshire

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

iwltshire2willtshire1wilsthire2wilthsire2wiltshhire1wiltshier2wiltshirre1wiltshrie2
Edit distance from "Wiltshire"

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 "Wiltshire"?
"Wiltshire" is spelled W-I-L-T-S-H-I-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɪlt.ʃə(ɹ)/.
What does "Wiltshire" mean?
As a proper noun, "Wiltshire" means: An inland county of England bordered by Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and Berkshire.
What words are commonly confused with "Wiltshire"?
"Wiltshire" is commonly confused with "Wilshire". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Wiltshire"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Wiltshire" is /ˈwɪlt.ʃə(ɹ)/. 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 "Wiltshire"?
From Middle English Wilteschire, from Old English Wiltūnsċīr (Wiltescire 1086 Domesday Book), named after the town of Wilton in the county (Old English Wiltūn). 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 “Wiltshire”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-I-L-T-S-H-I-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwɪlt.ʃə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Wilshire” - see the side-by-side comparison. Wiltshire vs Wilshire
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list