workaround
/ˈwɜːk.əɹaʊnd/
"workaround" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“workaround” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #41,478 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #41,478
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
- 15
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A means of overcoming some obstacle, especially an obstacle consisting of constraints, or laws or regulations.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | workaround |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈwɜːk.əɹaʊnd/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #41,478 |
| Misspellings tracked | 15 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “workaround” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for workaround is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈwɜːk.əɹaʊnd/. Corpus data places it at rank #41,478 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for workaround, with forms such as "owrkaround", "wokraround", and "worakround". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From work + around. The correct English form is workaround, spelled W-O-R-K-A-R-O-U-N-D.
Definition
- 1A means of overcoming some obstacle, especially an obstacle consisting of constraints, or laws or regulations.
- 2A procedure or a temporary fix that bypasses a problem and allows a user to continue working until a better solution can be provided.
- 3An impromptu and temporary response to an unforeseen problem or risk.
Etymology
From work + around.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: owrkaround,wokraround,worakround,workaorund,workaronud,workaroudn,workaroundd,workarounnd,workarround,workaruond,workkaround,workraound,worrkaround,wrokaround,wworkaround
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of workaround - 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.
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 "workaround"?
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Using “workaround”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is W-O-R-K-A-R-O-U-N-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈwɜːk.əɹaʊnd/ (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
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.