guillotine

/ˈɡɪlətiːn/

//ˈɡɪlətiːn// noun

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

"guillotine" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“guillotine” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,937. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,937
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A machine used for the application of capital punishment by decapitation, consisting of a tall upright frame from which is suspended a heavy diagonal-edged blade which is dropped onto the neck of t...

Corpus desk

Index EN-guillotine · guillotine · English

guillotine · rank #28,937 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,937
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH Guggenheim

Nearest frequency peer: Guggenheim (-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 “guillotine”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “guillotine” 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
Key facts for guillotine
PropertyValue
Headwordguillotine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡɪlətiːn/
Letters10
Frequency rank#28,937
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “guillotine”

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).guillotinelands 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 “Guggenheim” (#28,936), “gull” (#28,938), “Guangdong” (#28,935). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “guillotine” is #28,937. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around guillotine (IPA /ˈɡɪlətiːn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,937 among 2,313 “G” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for guillotine, with forms such as "gguillotine", "giullotine", and "guilloitne". 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. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French guillotine, named after the French physician Joseph-Ignace Guillotin (1738–1814), who proposed its use for capital punishment. The correct English form is guillotine, spelled G-U-I-L-L-O-T-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A machine used for the application of capital punishment by decapitation, consisting of a tall upright frame from which is suspended a heavy diagonal-edged blade which is dropped onto the neck of the person to be executed; also, execution using this machine.
  2. 2
    A device or machine with a cutting blade.
  3. 3
    A device or machine with a cutting blade.
  4. 4
    A parliamentary procedure for fixing the dates when various stages of discussion of a bill must end, to ensure that the enactment of the bill proceeds expeditiously.
  5. 5
    A legislative motion that debate be ended and a vote taken; a cloture.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. For two-and-twenty years he [Joseph-Ignace Guillotin], unguillotined, shall hear nothing but guillotine, see nothing but guillotine; then dying, shall through long centuries wander, as it were, a disconsolate ghost, on the wrong side of Styx and Lethe; his name like to outlive [Julius] Cæsar’s.
  2. The right hon. Gentleman is making a great stooshie about time in relation to this Bill, but was it not the case that, when the SNP [Scottish National Party] Scottish Government introduced their continuity Bill in the Scottish Parliament, they operated a ruthless guillotine to prevent proper scrutiny of it? That is the case; they ran a guillotine on that…

Etymology

Borrowed from French guillotine, named after the French physician Joseph-Ignace Guillotin (1738–1814), who proposed its use for capital punishment.

This word in other languages

guillotina(Español)guillotine(Français)Guillotine(Deutsch)guilhotina(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • gguillotine
  • giullotine
  • guilloitne
  • guillotien
  • guillotinne
  • guillotnie
  • guillottine
  • guilltoine
  • guiloltine
  • guilotine
  • gulilotine
  • ugillotine

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of guillotine - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

gguillotine1giullotine2guilloitne2guillotien2guillotinne1guillotnie2guillottine1guilltoine2
Edit distance from "guillotine"

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 "guillotine"?
"guillotine" is spelled G-U-I-L-L-O-T-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɪlətiːn/.
What does "guillotine" mean?
As a noun, "guillotine" means: A machine used for the application of capital punishment by decapitation, consisting of a tall upright frame from which is suspended a heavy diagonal-edged blade which is dropped onto the neck of t...
What are common misspellings of "guillotine"?
Common misspellings include "gguillotine", "giullotine", "guilloitne", "guillotien", "guillotinne". The correct spelling is "guillotine".
How do you pronounce "guillotine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "guillotine" is /ˈɡɪlətiːn/. 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 "guillotine"?
Borrowed from French guillotine, named after the French physician Joseph-Ignace Guillotin (1738–1814), who proposed its use for capital punishment. 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 "guillotine", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Guggenheim#28,936freelancer#28,928invalidate#28,959ecumenical#28,903

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

headband12 variantsFullerton12 variantsinfernal12 variantsembedding12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list