catapult

/ˈkæ.tə.pʌlt/

//ˈkæ.tə.pʌlt// noun

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

"catapult" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“catapult” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,481. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,481
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A device or weapon for throwing or launching large objects.

Corpus desk

Index EN-catapult · catapult · English

catapult · rank #28,481 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,481
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Capricorn

Nearest frequency peer: Capricorn (-2 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “catapult”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “catapult” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for catapult
PropertyValue
Headwordcatapult
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkæ.tə.pʌlt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#28,481
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “catapult”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Capricorn” (#28,479), “CCS” (#28,483), “canoes” (#28,478). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “catapult” is #28,481. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around catapult (IPA /ˈkæ.tə.pʌlt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,481 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for catapult, with forms such as "actapult", "caatpult", and "cataplut". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French catapulte, from Latin catapulta, from Ancient Greek καταπέλτης (katapéltēs), from κατά (katá, “downwards, into, against”) + πάλλω (pállō, “I poise or sway a missile before it is thrown”). Doublet of catapulta. The correct English form is catapult, spelled C-A-T-A-P-U-L-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device or weapon for throwing or launching large objects.
  2. 2
    A mechanical aid on aircraft carriers designed to help airplanes take off from the flight deck.
  3. 3
    A slingshot.
  4. 4
    An instance of firing a missile from a catapult.
  5. 5
    An instance of firing something, as if from a catapult.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The visitors were given notice of what was to come when Huth headed wide from a Rory Delap long throw but failed to heed the warning, allowing the German defender to rise unmarked to meet another Delap catapult and plant his header into the net after 12 minutes.

Etymology

From Middle French catapulte, from Latin catapulta, from Ancient Greek καταπέλτης (katapéltēs), from κατά (katá, “downwards, into, against”) + πάλλω (pállō, “I poise or sway a missile before it is thrown”). Doublet of catapulta.

This word in other languages

catapulta(Español)catapulte(Français)Katapult(Deutsch)catapulta(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • actapult
  • caatpult
  • cataplut
  • catappult
  • catapullt
  • catapultt
  • cataputl
  • catauplt
  • catpault
  • cattapult
  • ccatapult
  • ctaapult

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of catapult - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

actapult2caatpult2cataplut2catappult1catapullt1catapultt1cataputl2catauplt2
Edit distance from "catapult"

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 "catapult"?
"catapult" is spelled C-A-T-A-P-U-L-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkæ.tə.pʌlt/.
What does "catapult" mean?
As a noun, "catapult" means: A device or weapon for throwing or launching large objects.
What are common misspellings of "catapult"?
Common misspellings include "actapult", "caatpult", "cataplut", "catappult", "catapullt". The correct spelling is "catapult".
How do you pronounce "catapult"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "catapult" is /ˈkæ.tə.pʌlt/. 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 "catapult"?
From Middle French catapulte, from Latin catapulta, from Ancient Greek καταπέλτης (katapéltēs), from κατά (katá, “downwards, into, against”) + πάλλω (pállō, “I poise or sway a missile before it is thrown”). Doublet of catapulta. 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 "catapult", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

antennae#28,452amethyst#28,448dissuade#28,519abridged#28,441

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

Chomsky12 variantsdeciduous12 variantsDumfries12 variantsEllington12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list