arm wrestling

/ˈɑːm ˌɹɛs.lɪŋ/

//ˈɑːm ˌɹɛs.lɪŋ// noun

"arm-wrestling" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
13
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A strength sport with two participants, in which each participant grips the other's hand and tries to pin the other's arm onto a surface.

Key facts for arm wrestling
PropertyValue
Headwordarm wrestling
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɑːm ˌɹɛs.lɪŋ/
Letters13
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “arm wrestling” sits in English frequency

arm wrestling 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.

Rare enough to double-check

arm wrestling is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɑːm ˌɹɛs.lɪŋ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A strength sport with two participants, in which each participant grips the other's hand and tries to pin the other's arm onto a surface.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for arm wrestling in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is arm wrestling, spelled A-R-M- -W-R-E-S-T-L-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A strength sport with two participants, in which each participant grips the other's hand and tries to pin the other's arm onto a surface.

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 "arm wrestling"?
"arm wrestling" is spelled A-R-M- -W-R-E-S-T-L-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɑːm ˌɹɛs.lɪŋ/.
What does "arm wrestling" mean?
As a noun, "arm wrestling" means: A strength sport with two participants, in which each participant grips the other's hand and tries to pin the other's arm onto a surface.
How do you pronounce "arm wrestling"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "arm wrestling" is /ˈɑːm ˌɹɛs.lɪŋ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "arm wrestling" come from?
"arm wrestling" 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 “arm wrestling”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-R-M- -W-R-E-S-T-L-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɑːm ˌɹɛs.lɪŋ/ (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
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