capstan

/ˈkæp.stən/

//ˈkæp.stən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“capstan” is uncommon English (frequency #91,334 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#91,334
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A vertical cylindrical machine that revolves on a spindle, typically surmounted by a drumhead with sockets for levers for turning it; used to apply force to cables, ropes, etc.

Corpus desk

Index EN-capstan · capstan · English

capstan · rank #91,334 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #91,334
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Camperdown

Nearest frequency peer: Camperdown (-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 “capstan”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for capstan
PropertyValue
Headwordcapstan
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkæp.stən/
Letters7
Frequency rank#91,334
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “capstan” 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).capstanfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Camperdown” (#91,333), “campagna” (#91,332), “caretaking” (#91,337). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “capstan” is #91,334. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

capstan is uncommon English at frequency #91,334 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkæp.stən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for capstan, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed into Middle English from either Old French cabestan, from Old Occitan cabestan, from cabestre (“pulley cord”) or from Spanish cabestran, both of which derive from Latin capistrum (“halter”), from capiō (“take hold of”). The correct English form is capstan, spelled C-A-P-S-T-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A vertical cylindrical machine that revolves on a spindle, typically surmounted by a drumhead with sockets for levers for turning it; used to apply force to cables, ropes, etc.
  2. 2
    A rotating spindle used to move recording tape through the mechanism of a tape recorder.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. to pawl the capstan
  2. to rig the capstan

Etymology

Borrowed into Middle English from either Old French cabestan, from Old Occitan cabestan, from cabestre (“pulley cord”) or from Spanish cabestran, both of which derive from Latin capistrum (“halter”), from capiō (“take hold of”).

This word in other languages

cabrestante(Español)cabestan(Français)Gangspill(Deutsch)

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 "capstan"?
"capstan" is spelled C-A-P-S-T-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkæp.stən/.
What does "capstan" mean?
As a noun, "capstan" means: A vertical cylindrical machine that revolves on a spindle, typically surmounted by a drumhead with sockets for levers for turning it; used to apply force to cables, ropes, etc.
How do you pronounce "capstan"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "capstan" is /ˈkæp.stən/. 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 "capstan"?
Borrowed into Middle English from either Old French cabestan, from Old Occitan cabestan, from cabestre (“pulley cord”) or from Spanish cabestran, both of which derive from Latin capistrum (“halter”), from capiō (“take hold of”). 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 "capstan", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

cesspit#91,344Braddon#91,315bonhams#91,307Boileau#91,305

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list