collet

/ˈkɑlɪt/

//ˈkɑlɪt// noun

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

"collet" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“collet” is uncommon English (frequency #65,001 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,001
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A band, flange, ferrule, or collar, designed to grip and hold a tool or a workpiece under proper control, and usually to release it under control thereafter; such a collet usually is made of a hard...

Corpus desk

Index EN-collet · collet · English

collet · rank #65,001 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #65,001
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH coddle

Nearest frequency peer: coddle (-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 “collet”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for collet
PropertyValue
Headwordcollet
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɑlɪt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#65,001
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “collet” 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).colletfalls 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: “coddle” (#65,000), “commodification” (#65,003), “concessional” (#65,004). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “collet” is #65,001. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

collet is uncommon English at frequency #65,001 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɑlɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for collet, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French collet. Doublet of collar. The correct English form is collet, spelled C-O-L-L-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A band, flange, ferrule, or collar, designed to grip and hold a tool or a workpiece under proper control, and usually to release it under control thereafter; such a collet usually is made of a hard, springy material, especially a metal.
  2. 2
    The rim (of a ring) within which a jewel is set.
  3. 3
    In an embryonic plant, the transition zone between the root and the hypocotyl (not clearly distinguishable in most plants.)

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. That collet can handle up to 3/8-inch bits.
  2. There is an almost invisible collet that secures the stone to the ring.

Etymology

From Middle French collet. Doublet of collar.

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 "collet"?
"collet" is spelled C-O-L-L-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɑlɪt/.
What does "collet" mean?
As a noun, "collet" means: A band, flange, ferrule, or collar, designed to grip and hold a tool or a workpiece under proper control, and usually to release it under control thereafter; such a collet usually is made of a hard...
How do you pronounce "collet"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "collet" is /ˈkɑlɪt/. 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 "collet"?
From Middle French collet. Doublet of collar. 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 "collet", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

coddle#65,000Conlan#65,006cooter#65,009Couric#65,014

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list