drumstick

/ˈdɹʌmˌstɪk/

//ˈdɹʌmˌstɪk// noun

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

The verdict

“drumstick” is uncommon English (frequency #62,108 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,108
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A stick used to play drums.

Corpus desk

Index EN-drumstick · drumstick · English

drumstick · rank #62,108 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #62,108
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Dravid

Nearest frequency peer: Dravid (-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 “drumstick”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for drumstick
PropertyValue
Headworddrumstick
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɹʌmˌstɪk/
Letters9
Frequency rank#62,108
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “drumstick” 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).drumstickfalls 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: “Dravid” (#62,107), “dumbed” (#62,110), “earbud” (#62,112). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “drumstick” is #62,108. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

drumstick is uncommon English at frequency #62,108 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈdɹʌmˌstɪk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for drumstick, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From drum + stick. The correct English form is drumstick, spelled D-R-U-M-S-T-I-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A stick used to play drums.
  2. 2
    The second joint of the legbone of a chicken or other fowl, especially as an item of food.
  3. 3
    The moringa or drumstick tree, Moringa oleifera, especially its slender, cylindrical pods.
  4. 4
    A person's leg.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She could imagine the taste of the tender drumstick seeds on her tongue.
  2. At a given signal, from the boss of the hack, who stands door in hand, the young lady gathers her clothes well up her drumsticks, and would you believe, two steps or springs only, like those of a kangaroo, take her into the house.

Etymology

From drum + stick.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

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 "drumstick"?
"drumstick" is spelled D-R-U-M-S-T-I-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɹʌmˌstɪk/.
What does "drumstick" mean?
As a noun, "drumstick" means: A stick used to play drums.
How do you pronounce "drumstick"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "drumstick" is /ˈdɹʌmˌstɪk/. 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 "drumstick"?
From drum + stick. 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 "drumstick", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list