can opener

noun

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

"can-opener" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A device used to open tin cans, usually by slicing the lid off.

Key facts for can opener
PropertyValue
Headwordcan opener
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “can opener” sits in English frequency

can opener 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

can opener is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for can opener, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct English form is can opener, spelled C-A-N- -O-P-E-N-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device used to open tin cans, usually by slicing the lid off.
  2. 2
    A shoulder hit to the chest, usually accomplished while moving from a crouched to a standing position.
  3. 3
    A tool for safe-cracking.
  4. 4
    A ramming maneuver, that opens up the target ship like a tin can.
  5. 5
    An anti-tank munition or attack vehicle, that opens up armour like a tin can.

This word in other languages

abrelatas(Español)ouvre-boîtes(Français)Dosenöffner(Deutsch)

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 "can opener"?
"can opener" is spelled C-A-N- -O-P-E-N-E-R.
What does "can opener" mean?
As a noun, "can opener" means: A device used to open tin cans, usually by slicing the lid off.
What language does "can opener" come from?
"can opener" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “can opener”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-N- -O-P-E-N-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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