wooden

/ˈwʊdn̩/

//ˈwʊdn̩// adj

"wooden" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“wooden” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,133 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#4,133
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Made of wood.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

wooden vs woods
67% similar
wooden vs woody
67% similar
wooden vs woven
67% similar

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

Key facts for wooden
PropertyValue
Headwordwooden
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈwʊdn̩/
Letters6
Frequency rank#4,133
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wooden” 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). wooden lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for wooden is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈwʊdn̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,133 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for wooden, with forms such as "owoden", "woden", and "wodoen". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "woods", "woody", "woven", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *dwóh₁ From wood + -en. Dates from 1530s, gradually replaced treen (“made from a tree”), from Middle English treen, from Old English triewen. The correct English form is wooden, spelled W-O-O-D-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Made of wood.
  2. 2
    As if made of wood; moving awkwardly, or speaking with dull lack of emotion.

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ From wood + -en. Dates from 1530s, gradually replaced treen (“made from a tree”), from Middle English treen, from Old English triewen.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: owoden,woden,wodoen,woodden,woodenn,woodne,wooedn,wwooden

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

owoden2woden1wodoen2woodden1woodenn1woodne2wooedn2wwooden1
Edit distance from "wooden"

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 "wooden"?
"wooden" is spelled W-O-O-D-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwʊdn̩/.
What does "wooden" mean?
As an adjective, "wooden" means: Made of wood.
What words are commonly confused with "wooden"?
"wooden" is commonly confused with "woods", "woody", "woven". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "wooden"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wooden" is /ˈwʊdn̩/. 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 "wooden"?
PIE word *dwóh₁ From wood + -en. Dates from 1530s, gradually replaced treen (“made from a tree”), from Middle English treen, from Old English triewen. 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 “wooden”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-O-O-D-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwʊdn̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “woods” - see the side-by-side comparison. wooden vs woods
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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