earldom

/ˈəɹldəm/

//ˈəɹldəm// noun

"earldom" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“earldom” is uncommon English (frequency #69,807 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#69,807
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The rank of being an earl.

Corpus desk

Index EN-earldom · earldom · English

earldom · rank #69,807 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #69,807
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH Eadie

Nearest frequency peer: Eadie (-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 “earldom”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for earldom
PropertyValue
Headwordearldom
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈəɹldəm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#69,807
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “earldom” 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).earldomfalls 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: “Eadie” (#69,806), “earthwork” (#69,809), “Dwarka” (#69,804). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “earldom” is #69,807. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

earldom is uncommon English at frequency #69,807 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈəɹldəm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for earldom in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English erldom, from Old English eorldōm, equivalent to earl + -dom. Compare English jarldom. Cognate also with Scots eirldome, ȝerledom, erldom (“earldom”). The correct English form is earldom, spelled E-A-R-L-D-O-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    The rank of being an earl.
  2. 2
    The territory controlled by an earl.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. And, look when I am king, claim thou of me / The earldom of Hereford, and all the movables / Whereof the king my brother was possess'd.

Etymology

From Middle English erldom, from Old English eorldōm, equivalent to earl + -dom. Compare English jarldom. Cognate also with Scots eirldome, ȝerledom, erldom (“earldom”).

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 "earldom"?
"earldom" is spelled E-A-R-L-D-O-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈəɹldəm/.
What does "earldom" mean?
As a noun, "earldom" means: The rank of being an earl.
How do you pronounce "earldom"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "earldom" is /ˈəɹldəm/. 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 "earldom"?
From Middle English erldom, from Old English eorldōm, equivalent to earl + -dom. Compare English jarldom. Cognate also with Scots eirldome, ȝerledom, erldom (“earldom”). 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 "earldom", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list