Achilles tendon
/əˈkɪliːz tɛndən/
"achilles-tendon" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“Achilles tendon” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 15
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The strong tendon formed of the united tendons of the large muscles in the calf of the leg, and inserted into the bone of the heel.
Corpus desk
Index EN-achilles-tendon · Achilles tendon · English
Achilles tendon · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 15 letters
- VOW-5 5 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "A" 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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | Achilles tendon |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /əˈkɪliːz tɛndən/ |
| Letters | 15 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “Achilles tendon” in English
Rare enough to double-check
Achilles tendon is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /əˈkɪliːz tɛndən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The strong tendon formed of the united tendons of the large muscles in the calf of the leg, and inserted into the bone of the heel.".
No generated misspelling entries exist for Achilles tendon in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. 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: Calque of New Latin tendo Achillis, in reference to the mythological account of Achilles being held by the heel when dipped in the River Styx. Its coinage has been attributed to Dutch anatomist Philip Verheyden in 1693, but the term is first attested in 1684. The correct English form is Achilles tendon, spelled A-C-H-I-L-L-E-S- -T-E-N-D-O-N.
Definition
- 1The strong tendon formed of the united tendons of the large muscles in the calf of the leg, and inserted into the bone of the heel.
Recorded use
Wiktionary exampleThese source excerpts show how Achilles tendon appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who ruptured his left Achilles tendon just four snaps into his New York Jets career, has written off this season as a “lost year,” though he feels he can “play more years” in the NFL.
Etymology
Calque of New Latin tendo Achillis, in reference to the mythological account of Achilles being held by the heel when dipped in the River Styx. Its coinage has been attributed to Dutch anatomist Philip Verheyden in 1693, but the term is first attested in 1684.
Synonyms
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.