wrong number

noun

"wrong-number" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“wrong number” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A telephone number dialled by mistake, for example, by transposing digits.

Key facts for wrong number
PropertyValue
Headwordwrong number
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wrong number” sits in English frequency

wrong number falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for wrong number is 12 letters long, classified as a noun. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for wrong number in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct English form is wrong number, spelled W-R-O-N-G- -N-U-M-B-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A telephone number dialled by mistake, for example, by transposing digits.
  2. 2
    A telephone call received from an unfamiliar caller, due to a mistake in the number dialled.
  3. 3
    An incorrect notion or understanding concerning a person or situation.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "wrong number"?
"wrong number" is spelled W-R-O-N-G- -N-U-M-B-E-R.
What does "wrong number" mean?
As a noun, "wrong number" means: A telephone number dialled by mistake, for example, by transposing digits.
What language does "wrong number" come from?
"wrong number" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “wrong number”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-R-O-N-G- -N-U-M-B-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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