wispy

/ˈwɪspi/

//ˈwɪspi// adj

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

"wispy" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“wispy” is uncommon English (frequency #58,461 among 1,759 “W” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,461
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Consisting of or resembling a wisp; like a slender, flexible strand or bundle.

Corpus desk

Index EN-wispy · wispy · English

wispy · rank #58,461 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,461
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH wincing

Nearest frequency peer: wincing (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “wispy”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “wispy” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for wispy
PropertyValue
Headwordwispy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈwɪspi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#58,461
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “wispy” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).wispyfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “wincing” (#58,460), “witter” (#58,462), “worsted” (#58,463). Among 1,759 “W” headwords, “wispy” is #58,461. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

wispy is uncommon English at frequency #58,461 among 1,759 “W” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈwɪspi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Consisting of or resembling a wisp; like a slender, flexible strand or bundle.".

No misspelling variants are generated for wispy in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From wisp + -y. The correct English form is wispy, spelled W-I-S-P-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Consisting of or resembling a wisp; like a slender, flexible strand or bundle.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The wispy smoke rose from chimneys all around town.

Etymology

From wisp + -y.

This word in other languages

filamenteux(Français)dünn(Deutsch)

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 "wispy"?
"wispy" is spelled W-I-S-P-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɪspi/.
What does "wispy" mean?
As an adjective, "wispy" means: Consisting of or resembling a wisp; like a slender, flexible strand or bundle.
How do you pronounce "wispy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wispy" is /ˈwɪspi/. 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 "wispy"?
From wisp + -y. 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 "wispy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Venmo#58,442ached#58,490Adela#58,492trots#58,425

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list