How do you spell Bubble Gum?
Assuming we are talking about the noun (the stuff you chew), “bubble gum” is the most correct spelling by our analysis, but bubblegum is also totally acceptable.
In short, it’s:
- I chew bubble gum. (noun)
- I painted my room bubblegum color. (adj.)
- I listen to bubblegum pop music. (adj.)
All three spellings (bubble gum, bubblegum, and bubble-gum) are used in both adjective and noun form, so you’ll be OK using any of them. How did we come to these conclusions? Read on!
The Evidence for bubble gum vs. bubblegum
What does the dictionary say?
Merriam-Webster declares “bubble gum” to be correct, if talking about the noun (chewing gum). Dictionary.com agrees. Merriam-Webster says the adjective is spelled “bubblegum,” however.
Result: 1 point for bubble gum.
What does Wikipedia say?
Wikipedia knows its stuff, and their listing is “bubble gum” — but they also say “(or bubblegum).”
Result: Tie! 1 point for bubble gum, 1 point for bubblegum.
What do people search on Google?
This is really interesting… there are 57.6 million results for “bubblegum” and 46.2 million for “bubble gum.” On top of that, check out the search trends since 2019: bubblegum has the slight edge (26 vs. 24) over “bubble gum,” so we’ll award a point to bubblegum.
By the way, which spelling is more popular is regional. Check out the map — West Coasters definitely prefer “bubblegum” to “bubble gum.” Bet you didn’t know that!
Result: Tie! 1 point for bubblegum.
Do the big gum companies spell it bubble gum or bubblegum?
Hershey’s (Bubble Yum) goes with “bubble gum.” Bazooka also has a space: “bubble gum.” Wrigley’s Hubba Bubba: “bubble gum.” Dubble Bubble… wait, do we really want spelling advice from the people who spell double as “dubble?” In any case, they too use “bubble gum.”
Result: bubble gum dominates. 1 point for “bubble gum.”
What does AI say?
We asked this guy. He’s really smart, and we were kind of shocked by the reply.
“The correct spelling is ‘bubblegum.’ It is typically written as one word. However, ‘bubble gum’ (two words) is also commonly used and accepted, especially when referring to the product itself. The hyphenated form ‘bubble-gum’ is less common and generally not used. In most contexts, ‘bubblegum’ as one word is the preferred spelling.” — AI Guy
Hmm… let’s get another opinion from another AI robot!
Robot #2: “The terms ‘bubblegum’ and ‘bubble-gum’ are also sometimes used, but ‘bubble gum’ is the primary and preferred spelling.”
So AI #1 and AI #2 are not in agreement. Let’s ask AI #3 for a tie-breaker!
Robot #3: “All three spellings are correct, though ‘bubble gum’ is the most common. Bubble gum is the most widely used and accepted spelling. Bubblegum is also common and considered correct. Bubble-gum is less common but still considered correct.”
So that settles it!
Result: A close win for bubble gum! 1 point for “bubble gum.”
The Final Score!
🥇 Bubble gum — 4 points 🥈 Bubblegum — 2 points 🥉 Bubble-gum — 0 points
