# wisp

> English word · Noun · IPA /wɪsp/ · frequency rank #42,996

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

## 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”).

## Easily confused with
- **WS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wisp-vs-ws)
- **wit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wisp-vs-wit)
- **wiz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wisp-vs-wiz)
- **WSJ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wisp-vs-wsj)
- **wop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wisp-vs-wop)
- **WSU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wisp-vs-wsu)
- **with** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wisp-vs-with)
- **wrap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wisp-vs-wrap)
- **wits** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wisp-vs-wits)
- **Witt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wisp-vs-witt)
- **wrist** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wisp-vs-wrist)
- **wi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wi-vs-wisp)
- **was** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/was-vs-wisp)
- **win** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/win-vs-wisp)
- **Wii** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wii-vs-wisp)
- **wig** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wig-vs-wisp)
- **Wes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wes-vs-wisp)
- **wis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wis-vs-wisp)
- **Wie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wie-vs-wisp)
- **WAP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wap-vs-wisp)

## Common misspellings (6)
`iwsp`, `wips`, `wispp`, `wissp`, `wsip`, `wwisp`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/wisp