ZIP Code

noun

"zip-code" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ZIP Code” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Uncommon form of zip code.

Corpus desk

Index EN-zip-code · ZIP Code · English

ZIP Code · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "Z" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for ZIP Code
PropertyValue
HeadwordZIP Code
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “ZIP Code” in English

ZIP Codesits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

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

Rare enough to double-check

ZIP Code is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Uncommon form of zip code.".

Zero misspellings are on record for ZIP Code in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Trademark of United States Postal Service, from ZIP (“Zone Improvement Plan”), introduced 1963. The correct English form is ZIP Code, spelled Z-I-P- -C-O-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Uncommon form of zip code.

Etymology

Trademark of United States Postal Service, from ZIP (“Zone Improvement Plan”), introduced 1963.

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 "ZIP Code"?
"ZIP Code" is spelled Z-I-P- -C-O-D-E.
What does "ZIP Code" mean?
As a noun, "ZIP Code" means: Uncommon form of zip code.
What is the origin of the word "ZIP Code"?
Trademark of United States Postal Service, from ZIP (“Zone Improvement Plan”), introduced 1963. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list