coxswain

/ˈkɒk.s(ə)n/

//ˈkɒk.s(ə)n// noun

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

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

The verdict

“coxswain” is uncommon English (frequency #78,495 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#78,495
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - In a ship's boat, the helmsman given charge of the boat's crew.

Corpus desk

Index EN-coxswain · coxswain · English

coxswain · rank #78,495 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #78,495
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH cran

Nearest frequency peer: cran (+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 “coxswain”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for coxswain
PropertyValue
Headwordcoxswain
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒk.s(ə)n/
Letters8
Frequency rank#78,495
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “coxswain” 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).coxswainfalls 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: “cran” (#78,496), “correlative” (#78,493), “crestfallen” (#78,497). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “coxswain” is #78,495. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

coxswain is uncommon English at frequency #78,495 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɒk.s(ə)n/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for coxswain in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English cokswain; equivalent to cock (“a boat”) + swain (“boy, servant”). The correct English form is coxswain, spelled C-O-X-S-W-A-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a ship's boat, the helmsman given charge of the boat's crew.
  2. 2
    The member of a crew who steers the shell and coordinates the power and rhythm of the rowers.
  3. 3
    The second or third mate of a vessel, in charge of the master's barge.
  4. 4
    A rank or position.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Canadian Navy Coxswain (or Capitaine d'Armes) is the senior non-commissioned officer aboard a ship
  2. British Royal Navy Cadets Cadet Coxswain is the highest normal rank which may be achieved.

Etymology

From Middle English cokswain; equivalent to cock (“a boat”) + swain (“boy, servant”).

This word in other languages

timonero(Español)Steuermann(Deutsch)timoneiro(Português)

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 "coxswain"?
"coxswain" is spelled C-O-X-S-W-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒk.s(ə)n/.
What does "coxswain" mean?
As a noun, "coxswain" means: In a ship's boat, the helmsman given charge of the boat's crew.
How do you pronounce "coxswain"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "coxswain" is /ˈkɒk.s(ə)n/. 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 "coxswain"?
From Middle English cokswain; equivalent to cock (“a boat”) + swain (“boy, servant”). 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 "coxswain", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

coquette#78,492culottes#78,500damnable#78,508Chamorro#78,467

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list