cylinder

/ˈsɪlɪndə(ɹ)/

//ˈsɪlɪndə(ɹ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“cylinder” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,212. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,212
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A surface created by projecting a closed two-dimensional curve along an axis intersecting the plane of the curve.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cylinder · cylinder · English

cylinder · rank #7,212 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,212
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH cracked

Nearest frequency peer: cracked (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “cylinder”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “cylinder” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

cylinder vs cinder
75% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for cylinder
PropertyValue
Headwordcylinder
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsɪlɪndə(ɹ)/
Letters8
Frequency rank#7,212
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “cylinder”

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

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “cracked” (#7,211), “dancer” (#7,213), “CR” (#7,210). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cylinder” is #7,212. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around cylinder (IPA /ˈsɪlɪndə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #7,212 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for cylinder, with forms such as "ccylinder", "clyinder", and "cyilnder". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "cinder", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French chilindre, cylindre, from Latin cylindrus, from Ancient Greek κύλινδρος (kúlindros), from κυλίνδω (kulíndō) "I roll or wallow" (intransitive). Doublet of calander and calender. The correct English form is cylinder, spelled C-Y-L-I-N-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A surface created by projecting a closed two-dimensional curve along an axis intersecting the plane of the curve.
  2. 2
    A solid figure bounded by a cylinder and two parallel planes intersecting the cylinder.
  3. 3
    Any object in the form of a circular cylinder.
  4. 4
    A cylindrical cavity or chamber in a mechanism, such as the counterpart to a piston found in a piston-driven engine.
  5. 5
    The space in which a piston travels inside a reciprocating engine or pump.
  6. 6
    A container in the form of a cylinder with rounded ends for storing pressurized gas; a gas cylinder.
  7. 7
    An early form of phonograph recording, made on a wax cylinder.
  8. 8
    The part of a revolver that contains chambers for the cartridges.
  9. 9
    The corresponding tracks on a vertical arrangement of disks in a disk drive considered as a unit of data capacity.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. When the two-dimensional curve is a circle, the cylinder is called a circular cylinder. When the axis is perpendicular to the plane of the curve, the cylinder is called a right cylinder. In non-mathematical usage, both right and circular are usually implied.
  2. A big greyish rounded bulk, the size, perhaps, of a bear, was rising slowly and painfully out of the cylinder.

Etymology

From Middle French chilindre, cylindre, from Latin cylindrus, from Ancient Greek κύλινδρος (kúlindros), from κυλίνδω (kulíndō) "I roll or wallow" (intransitive). Doublet of calander and calender.

This word in other languages

cilindro(Español)cylindre(Français)Zylinder(Deutsch)cilindro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ccylinder
  • clyinder
  • cyilnder
  • cylidner
  • cylindder
  • cylinderr
  • cylindre
  • cylinedr
  • cylinnder
  • cyllinder
  • cylnider
  • cyylinder
  • yclinder

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cylinder - 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.

ccylinder1clyinder2cyilnder2cylidner2cylindder1cylinderr1cylindre2cylinedr2
Edit distance from "cylinder"

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 "cylinder"?
"cylinder" is spelled C-Y-L-I-N-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪlɪndə(ɹ)/.
What does "cylinder" mean?
As a noun, "cylinder" means: A surface created by projecting a closed two-dimensional curve along an axis intersecting the plane of the curve.
What words are commonly confused with "cylinder"?
"cylinder" is commonly confused with "cinder". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cylinder"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cylinder" is /ˈsɪlɪndə(ɹ)/. 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 "cylinder"?
From Middle French chilindre, cylindre, from Latin cylindrus, from Ancient Greek κύλινδρος (kúlindros), from κυλίνδω (kulíndō) "I roll or wallow" (intransitive). Doublet of calander and calender. 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 "cylinder", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

centered#7,203Brussels#7,201failures#7,226founding#7,229

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

accurately13 variantsPalestine13 variantsmagnitude13 variantsReynolds13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list