buttonhole

/ˈbʌtənˌhoʊl/

//ˈbʌtənˌhoʊl// noun

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

"buttonhole" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“buttonhole” is uncommon English (frequency #76,609 among 4,121 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#76,609
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A hole through which a button is pushed to secure a garment or some part of one.

Corpus desk

Index EN-buttonhole · buttonhole · English

buttonhole · rank #76,609 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #76,609
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH burdon

Nearest frequency peer: burdon (-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 “buttonhole”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for buttonhole
PropertyValue
Headwordbuttonhole
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbʌtənˌhoʊl/
Letters10
Frequency rank#76,609
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “buttonhole” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).buttonholefalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “burdon” (#76,608), “burd” (#76,607), “cadherin” (#76,611). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “buttonhole” is #76,609. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

buttonhole is uncommon English at frequency #76,609 among 4,121 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈbʌtənˌhoʊl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 7 senses are on record.

buttonhole has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Originally buttonhold (“a loop of string to hold a button down”), but changed by folk etymology by influence of hole, By surface analysis, button + hole. The correct English form is buttonhole, spelled B-U-T-T-O-N-H-O-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A hole through which a button is pushed to secure a garment or some part of one.
  2. 2
    A flower worn in a buttonhole for decoration.
  3. 3
    A flower worn in a buttonhole for decoration.
  4. 4
    A small slot-like cut or incision, made for example by an accident with the scalpel.
  5. 5
    The mouth, nose or eyes of a tiny appearance.
  6. 6
    vagina, coin slot.
  7. 7
    The butthole (anus).

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The usual cause of conjunctival buttonholes is penetration of the tissue by the tip of a sharp instrument […]

Etymology

Originally buttonhold (“a loop of string to hold a button down”), but changed by folk etymology by influence of hole, By surface analysis, button + hole.

This word in other languages

ojal(Español)boutonnière(Français)Knopfloch(Deutsch)casa(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 "buttonhole"?
"buttonhole" is spelled B-U-T-T-O-N-H-O-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbʌtənˌhoʊl/.
What does "buttonhole" mean?
As a noun, "buttonhole" means: A hole through which a button is pushed to secure a garment or some part of one.
How do you pronounce "buttonhole"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "buttonhole" is /ˈbʌtənˌhoʊl/. 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 "buttonhole"?
Originally buttonhold (“a loop of string to hold a button down”), but changed by folk etymology by influence of hole, By surface analysis, button + hole. 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 "buttonhole", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

brigantine#76,599Carpentier#76,621childishly#76,636communally#76,659

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list