windmill
/ˈwɪn(d).mɪl/
"windmill" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“windmill” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,726. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #23,726
- frequency rank, English
- 12,113
- “W” headwords
- 11
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A machine which translates linear motion of wind to rotational motion by means of adjustable vanes called sails.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | windmill |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈwɪn(d).mɪl/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #23,726 |
| Misspellings tracked | 11 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “windmill” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 11 spelling variants around windmill (IPA /ˈwɪn(d).mɪl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,726 among 12,113 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 14 senses, so context still picks the gloss.
Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for windmill, with forms such as "iwndmill", "widnmill", and "winddmill". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "windfall", 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 wyndmylne, wyndmylle, equivalent to wind + mill. Cognate with Scots wyndmyln, wyndmyl, Saterland Frisian Wíendmäälne, West Frisian wynmûne, Dutch windmolen, Afrikaans windmeul, Dutch Low Saxon windmölle (Achterhooks), wiendmeule (Drents,… The correct English form is windmill, spelled W-I-N-D-M-I-L-L.
Definition
- 1A machine which translates linear motion of wind to rotational motion by means of adjustable vanes called sails.
- 2The building or structure containing such machinery.
- 3A wind turbine, a device for converting wind power into electricity.
- 4A child's toy consisting of vanes mounted on a stick that rotate when blown by a person or by the wind.
- 5A dunk where the dunker swings his arm in a circular motion before throwing the ball through the hoop.
- 6A pitch where the pitcher swings his arm in a circular motion before throwing the ball.
- 7A guitar move where the strumming hand mimics a turning windmill.
- 8A breakdancing move in which the dancer rolls his/her torso continuously in a circular path on the floor, across the upper chest, shoulders and back, while twirling the legs in a V shape in the air.
- 9Any of various muscle exercises in which a large deal of the body makes a great circle, typically one where a kettlebell is raised overhead and the torso is rotated to the other side with the hand reaching its foot (hitting the core, glutes, hamstrings, trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids and rotator cuffs) but sometimes even a windshield wiper.
- 10Any of various large papilionid butterflies of the genus Byasa, the wings of which resemble the vanes of a windmill.
- 11The false shower.
- 12An imaginary enemy, but presented as real.
- 13The act of windmilling.
- 14A tactic in which a piece repeatedly gains material, while simultaneously creating an inescapable series of alternating direct and discovered checks.
Etymology
From Middle English wyndmylne, wyndmylle, equivalent to wind + mill. Cognate with Scots wyndmyln, wyndmyl, Saterland Frisian Wíendmäälne, West Frisian wynmûne, Dutch windmolen, Afrikaans windmeul, Dutch Low Saxon windmölle (Achterhooks), wiendmeule (Drents, Veluws), German Low German Windmöhl, German Windmühle, Danish vindmølle, Norwegian Bokmål vindmølle, Norwegian Nynorsk vindmølle, vindmylne, Swedish vindmölla, Icelandic vindmylla. (imaginary enemy): A reference to Don Quixote tilting at windmills.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- iwndmill
- widnmill
- winddmill
- windimll
- windmil
- windmlil
- windmmill
- winmdill
- winndmill
- wnidmill
- wwindmill
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of windmill - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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 "windmill"?
What does "windmill" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "windmill"?
How do you pronounce "windmill"?
What is the origin of the word "windmill"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “windmill”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is W-I-N-D-M-I-L-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈwɪn(d).mɪl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “windfall” - see the side-by-side comparison. windmill vs windfall
- 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.