drainpipe

/ˈdɹeɪnˌpaɪp/

//ˈdɹeɪnˌpaɪp// noun

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

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

The verdict

“drainpipe” is uncommon English (frequency #90,385 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#90,385
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A pipe that carries fluid which is being drained.

Corpus desk

Index EN-drainpipe · drainpipe · English

drainpipe · rank #90,385 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #90,385
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dragster

Nearest frequency peer: dragster (-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 “drainpipe”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for drainpipe
PropertyValue
Headworddrainpipe
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɹeɪnˌpaɪp/
Letters9
Frequency rank#90,385
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “drainpipe” 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).drainpipefalls 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: “dragster” (#90,384), “drivable” (#90,386), “Dudek” (#90,389). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “drainpipe” is #90,385. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

drainpipe is uncommon English at frequency #90,385 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈdɹeɪnˌpaɪp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

drainpipe doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. 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 drain + pipe. The correct English form is drainpipe, spelled D-R-A-I-N-P-I-P-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A pipe that carries fluid which is being drained.
  2. 2
    A pipe that carries fluid which is being drained.
  3. 3
    A pipe that carries fluid which is being drained.
  4. 4
    A pipe that carries fluid which is being drained.
  5. 5
    The type of pipe that is used to construct a drainpipe.
  6. 6
    A type of form-fitting trousers with highly tapered legs.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He unlatched the window and stuck his head out — there was a drainpipe a couple of feet to the left but his room was on the second floor and it was too dark to tell whether the garden below was grass, soil, or paving.
  2. We said earlier that we normally use a curved or bent piece of pipe at the top of the drainpipe where it is connected to the gutter, and a fitting at the bottom end of the drainpipe that directs the water into a channel or a drain or gully.

Etymology

From drain + pipe.

Synonyms

downspoutdownpipeleaderculvertstorm drainwaste pipestovepipeskinny jeans

This word in other languages

descente(Français)Fallrohr(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 "drainpipe"?
"drainpipe" is spelled D-R-A-I-N-P-I-P-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɹeɪnˌpaɪp/.
What does "drainpipe" mean?
As a noun, "drainpipe" means: A pipe that carries fluid which is being drained.
How do you pronounce "drainpipe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "drainpipe" is /ˈdɹeɪnˌpaɪp/. 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 "drainpipe"?
From drain + pipe. 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 "drainpipe", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

downrange#90,380desiccant#90,359epitomize#90,413Ernakulam#90,418

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list