wolverine

/ˈwʊlvəˌɹiːn/

//ˈwʊlvəˌɹiːn// noun

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

"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
1,759
“W” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A solitary, fierce mammal of the Mustelidae family, Gulo gulo.

Corpus desk

Index EN-wolverine · wolverine · English

wolverine · rank #16,389 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,389
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH wiping

Nearest frequency peer: wiping (-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 “wolverine”

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

corpus weight

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

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “wolverine”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “wiping” (#16,388), “wrought” (#16,390), “winged” (#16,387). Among 1,759 “W” headwords, “wolverine” is #16,389. 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 1,759 “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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. “Wish I'd been more polite to that girl,” the sheriff remarked regretfully. “ I ain't had a bite to eat since four o'clock this morning, and I'm hungry as a wolverine. … I know she'd have give me another drink of that old moonshine she has.”

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

carcajouskunk beargluttonquickhatchbeaver eater

This word in other languages

glotón(Español)glouton(Français)Vielfraß(Deutsch)carcaju(Português)

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "wolverine", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

whispered#16,385abduction#16,396viability#16,381ancestral#16,400

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

undertook13 variantsantiquity13 variantsStamford13 variantssectional13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list