faceplate

/ˈfeɪsˌpleɪt/

//ˈfeɪsˌpleɪt// noun

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

The verdict

“faceplate” is uncommon English (frequency #75,865 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,865
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A removable protective shield separating the inner workings of a machine from operator and observer.

Corpus desk

Index EN-faceplate · faceplate · English

faceplate · rank #75,865 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #75,865
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH Fahim

Nearest frequency peer: Fahim (+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 “faceplate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for faceplate
PropertyValue
Headwordfaceplate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfeɪsˌpleɪt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#75,865
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “faceplate” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).faceplatefalls 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: “Fahim” (#75,866), “expectantly” (#75,862), “Farwell” (#75,869). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “faceplate” is #75,865. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

faceplate is uncommon English at frequency #75,865 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈfeɪsˌpleɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for faceplate in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Compound of face + plate. The correct English form is faceplate, spelled F-A-C-E-P-L-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A removable protective shield separating the inner workings of a machine from operator and observer.
  2. 2
    A rigid flat surface that has an active role in the interaction of a device with an operator or user.
  3. 3
    A transparent window forming part of a helmet directly in front of the wearer's face, allowing them to see out.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The keyboard's faceplate, that is, the cover holding the plastic key against the rubber keyboard, is usually molded ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastic.

Etymology

Compound of face + plate.

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 "faceplate"?
"faceplate" is spelled F-A-C-E-P-L-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfeɪsˌpleɪt/.
What does "faceplate" mean?
As a noun, "faceplate" means: A removable protective shield separating the inner workings of a machine from operator and observer.
How do you pronounce "faceplate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "faceplate" is /ˈfeɪsˌpleɪt/. 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 "faceplate"?
Compound of face + plate. 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 "faceplate", 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