buttock

/ˈbʌtək/

//ˈbʌtək// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

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

The verdict

“buttock” is uncommon English (frequency #54,065 among 4,121 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#54,065
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Each of the two large fleshy halves of the posterior part of the body between the base of the back, the perineum, and the top of the legs.

Corpus desk

Index EN-buttock · buttock · English

buttock · rank #54,065 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #54,065
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH bushman

Nearest frequency peer: bushman (-1 rank slots)

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.

Long-tail ranks near “buttock”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “buttock” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for buttock
PropertyValue
Headwordbuttock
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbʌtək/
Letters7
Frequency rank#54,065
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “buttock” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).buttockfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “bushman” (#54,064), “bushfire” (#54,063), “camphor” (#54,067). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “buttock” is #54,065. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

buttock is uncommon English at frequency #54,065 among 4,121 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈbʌtək/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for buttock, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English buttok, probably from Old English buttuc (“end; end piece”; also, “short piece of land”). Attested with its current anatomical meaning since 1300. A diminutive form of what is presumably the Old English precursor of butt + -ock… The correct English form is buttock, spelled B-U-T-T-O-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    Each of the two large fleshy halves of the posterior part of the body between the base of the back, the perineum, and the top of the legs.
  2. 2
    The convexity of a ship behind, under the stern.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how buttock appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Run, run, come you hither / Novv, take all my Cuſhions dovvn and thvvack them ſoundly, / After my Feaſt of Millers: for their Buttocks / Have left a peck of flovver in them, beat them carefully […]
  2. There came a blast of freezing wind that made Skell shrug himself against the oaken post on which the ship's buttock rested.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English buttok, probably from Old English buttuc (“end; end piece”; also, “short piece of land”). Attested with its current anatomical meaning since 1300. A diminutive form of what is presumably the Old English precursor of butt + -ock (diminutive suffix).

This word in other languages

nalga(Español)fesse(Français)Hinterbacke(Deutsch)nádega(Português)

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 "buttock"?
"buttock" is spelled B-U-T-T-O-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbʌtək/.
What does "buttock" mean?
As a noun, "buttock" means: Each of the two large fleshy halves of the posterior part of the body between the base of the back, the perineum, and the top of the legs.
How do you pronounce "buttock"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "buttock" is /ˈbʌtək/. 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 "buttock"?
Inherited from Middle English buttok, probably from Old English buttuc (“end; end piece”; also, “short piece of land”). Attested with its current anatomical meaning since 1300. A diminutive form of what is presumably the Old English precursor of b... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "buttock", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

bushman#54,064camphor#54,067bricked#54,058braving#54,057

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list