chokehold

/ˈt͡ʃəʊkhəʊld/

//ˈt͡ʃəʊkhəʊld// noun

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

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

The verdict

“chokehold” is uncommon English (frequency #67,309 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#67,309
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A grappling hold around a person's neck, especially one in which the neck is grasped tightly from behind with an arm, cutting off the flow of blood to the brain and restricting breathing.

Corpus desk

Index EN-chokehold · chokehold · English

chokehold · rank #67,309 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #67,309
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Chittenden

Nearest frequency peer: Chittenden (-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 “chokehold”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for chokehold
PropertyValue
Headwordchokehold
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈt͡ʃəʊkhəʊld/
Letters9
Frequency rank#67,309
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “chokehold” 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).chokeholdfalls 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: “Chittenden” (#67,308), “chitchat” (#67,307), “cherubs” (#67,306). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “chokehold” is #67,309. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

chokehold is uncommon English at frequency #67,309 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈt͡ʃəʊkhəʊld/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for chokehold, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is derived from choke (verb) + hold (noun). The verb is derived from the noun. The correct English form is chokehold, spelled C-H-O-K-E-H-O-L-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A grappling hold around a person's neck, especially one in which the neck is grasped tightly from behind with an arm, cutting off the flow of blood to the brain and restricting breathing.
  2. 2
    A powerful and restrictive control or influence over something.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He put his opponent in a chokehold.
  2. Within five to ten seconds, one officer began to apply a choke hold by pressing his forearm into [Adolph] Lyons' throat. As Lyons was struggling for air, the officer handcuffed him and continued to apply the choke hold until Lyons blacked out. He was almost choked to death. […] Between 1975 and 1982, sixteen people died from the LAPD [Los Angeles Police D…

Etymology

The noun is derived from choke (verb) + hold (noun). The verb is derived from the noun.

This word in other languages

Würgegriff(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 "chokehold"?
"chokehold" is spelled C-H-O-K-E-H-O-L-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈt͡ʃəʊkhəʊld/.
What does "chokehold" mean?
As a noun, "chokehold" means: A grappling hold around a person's neck, especially one in which the neck is grasped tightly from behind with an arm, cutting off the flow of blood to the brain and restricting breathing.
How do you pronounce "chokehold"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "chokehold" is /ˈt͡ʃəʊkhəʊld/. 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 "chokehold"?
The noun is derived from choke (verb) + hold (noun). The verb is derived from the noun. 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 "chokehold", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

collegium#67,319Connemara#67,325Buttigieg#67,288credulous#67,336

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list