Yoder

/ˈjoʊdɚ/

//ˈjoʊdɚ// name

"yoder" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Yoder” is uncommon English (frequency #55,200 among 2,763 “Y” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,200
frequency rank, English
2,763
“Y” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A surname from German.

Key facts for Yoder
PropertyValue
HeadwordYoder
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈjoʊdɚ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#55,200
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Yoder” 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). Yoder lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

Yoder is uncommon English at frequency #55,200 among 2,763 “Y” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈjoʊdɚ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 7 senses are on record.

Yoder has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: The family name is from German Joder, the name of a clan in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland; which is in turn from the given name Theodor, after St Theodorus, an early Christian religious leader in Switzerland. The correct English form is Yoder, spelled Y-O-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A surname from German.
  2. 2
    A place in the United States:
  3. 3
    A place in the United States:
  4. 4
    A place in the United States:
  5. 5
    A place in the United States:
  6. 6
    A place in the United States:
  7. 7
    A ghost town in West Kootenay, British Columbia, Canada.

Etymology

The family name is from German Joder, the name of a clan in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland; which is in turn from the given name Theodor, after St Theodorus, an early Christian religious leader in Switzerland.

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 "Yoder"?
"Yoder" is spelled Y-O-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈjoʊdɚ/.
What does "Yoder" mean?
As a proper noun, "Yoder" means: A surname from German.
How do you pronounce "Yoder"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Yoder" is /ˈjoʊdɚ/. 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 "Yoder"?
The family name is from German Joder, the name of a clan in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland; which is in turn from the given name Theodor, after St Theodorus, an early Christian religious leader in Switzerland. 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 “Yoder”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is Y-O-D-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈjoʊdɚ/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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