wolverine

/ˈwʊlvəˌɹiːn/

//ˈwʊlvəˌɹiːn// noun

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

The verdict

“wolverine” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,389. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,389
frequency rank, English
12,113
“W” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A solitary, fierce mammal of the Mustelidae family, Gulo gulo.

Key facts for wolverine
PropertyValue
Headwordwolverine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈwʊlvəˌɹiːn/
Letters9
Frequency rank#16,389
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wolverine” 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). wolverine 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 13 spelling variants around wolverine (IPA /ˈwʊlvəˌɹiːn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,389 among 12,113 “W” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A solitary, fierce mammal of the Mustelidae family, Gulo gulo.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for wolverine, with forms such as "owlverine", "wloverine", and "wolevrine". 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. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: 1619; alteration of earlier wolvering (1574), diminutive of wolver (“ravenous or savage animal; person who behaves like a wolf”) (1593), ultimately from wolf. The correct English form is wolverine, spelled W-O-L-V-E-R-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A solitary, fierce mammal of the Mustelidae family, Gulo gulo.

Etymology

1619; alteration of earlier wolvering (1574), diminutive of wolver (“ravenous or savage animal; person who behaves like a wolf”) (1593), ultimately from wolf.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • owlverine
  • wloverine
  • wolevrine
  • wollverine
  • wolveirne
  • wolverien
  • wolverinne
  • wolvernie
  • wolverrine
  • wolvreine
  • wolvverine
  • wovlerine
  • wwolverine

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of wolverine - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

owlverine2wloverine2wolevrine2wollverine1wolveirne2wolverien2wolverinne1wolvernie2
Edit distance from "wolverine"

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 "wolverine"?
"wolverine" is spelled W-O-L-V-E-R-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwʊlvəˌɹiːn/.
What does "wolverine" mean?
As a noun, "wolverine" means: A solitary, fierce mammal of the Mustelidae family, Gulo gulo.
What are common misspellings of "wolverine"?
Common misspellings include "owlverine", "wloverine", "wolevrine", "wollverine", "wolveirne". The correct spelling is "wolverine".
How do you pronounce "wolverine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wolverine" is /ˈwʊlvəˌɹiːn/. 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 "wolverine"?
1619; alteration of earlier wolvering (1574), diminutive of wolver (“ravenous or savage animal; person who behaves like a wolf”) (1593), ultimately from wolf. 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 “wolverine”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-O-L-V-E-R-I-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwʊlvəˌɹiːn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list