wisp

/wɪsp/

//wɪsp// noun

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

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

The verdict

“wisp” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,996. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,996
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 small bundle, as of straw or other like substance; a twisted handful of something; any slender, flexible structure or group.

Corpus desk

Index EN-wisp · wisp · English

wisp · rank #42,996 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,996
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH Winnebago

Nearest frequency peer: Winnebago (-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 “wisp”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “wisp” 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).

wisp vs WS
0% similar
wisp vs wit
50% similar
wisp vs wiz
50% similar

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

Key facts for wisp
PropertyValue
Headwordwisp
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/wɪsp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#42,996
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “wisp”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Winnebago” (#42,995), “wold” (#42,997), “Willi” (#42,994). Among 1,759 “W” headwords, “wisp” is #42,996. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around wisp (IPA /wɪsp/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,996 among 1,759 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for wisp, with forms such as "iwsp", "wips", and "wispp". 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, "WS", "wit", "wiz", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English wispe, wyspe, wips, wipse, perhaps from an unrecorded Old English *wisp, *wips. Cognate with West Frisian wisp, Dutch wisp (“bundle of hay or straw”), Norwegian bokmål/Swedish/Bornholm Danish visp (“handful or bundle of grass, hay, etc.”… The correct English form is wisp, spelled W-I-S-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small bundle, as of straw or other like substance; a twisted handful of something; any slender, flexible structure or group.
  2. 2
    A small, thin line of cloud, smoke, or steam.
  3. 3
    A whisk, or small broom.
  4. 4
    A will o' the wisp, or ignis fatuus.
  5. 5
    An immeasurable, indefinable essence of life; soul.
  6. 6
    A flock of snipe.
  7. 7
    A disease affecting the feet of cattle.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A wisp of hair escaped her barrette and whipped wildly in the wind.
  2. in a small basket, on a wisp of hay

Etymology

From Middle English wispe, wyspe, wips, wipse, perhaps from an unrecorded Old English *wisp, *wips. Cognate with West Frisian wisp, Dutch wisp (“bundle of hay or straw”), Norwegian bokmål/Swedish/Bornholm Danish visp (“handful or bundle of grass, hay, etc.”). Akin also to Middle Dutch/Middle Low German wispel (“measure of grain”).

This word in other languages

brizna(Español)brin(Français)Haarbüschel(Deutsch)tufo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iwsp
  • wips
  • wispp
  • wissp
  • wsip
  • wwisp

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

iwsp2wips2wispp1wissp1wsip2wwisp1
Edit distance from "wisp"

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 "wisp"?
"wisp" is spelled W-I-S-P. The IPA pronunciation is /wɪsp/.
What does "wisp" mean?
As a noun, "wisp" means: A small bundle, as of straw or other like substance; a twisted handful of something; any slender, flexible structure or group.
What words are commonly confused with "wisp"?
"wisp" is commonly confused with "WS", "wit", "wiz". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "wisp"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wisp" is /wɪsp/. 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 "wisp"?
From Middle English wispe, wyspe, wips, wipse, perhaps from an unrecorded Old English *wisp, *wips. Cognate with West Frisian wisp, Dutch wisp (“bundle of hay or straw”), Norwegian bokmål/Swedish/Bornholm Danish visp (“handful or bundle of grass, ... 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 "wisp", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

wold#42,997Xena#42,999ably#43,013trig#42,963

Similar misspelling depth

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

Uribe6 variantsAileen6 variantsAmato6 variantsAsada6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list