Iron Age

/ˈʌɪən eɪdʒ/

//ˈʌɪən eɪdʒ// name

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

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

The verdict

“Iron Age” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The most recent and debased of the four or five classical Ages of Man; hence, any period characterized by wicked behavior.

Key facts for Iron Age
PropertyValue
HeadwordIron Age
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈʌɪən eɪdʒ/
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Iron Age” sits in English frequency

Iron Age falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Iron Age is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈʌɪən eɪdʒ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for Iron Age in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From iron + age, in the mythological sense a calque of Latin saecula ferrea, aetas ferrea; in the archaeological sense a calque of Danish jernalder. The correct English form is Iron Age, spelled I-R-O-N- -A-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The most recent and debased of the four or five classical Ages of Man; hence, any period characterized by wicked behavior.
  2. 2
    An age characterized by the use of iron.
  3. 3
    A level of culture in which humans used iron and the technology of ironworking. (Estimated to have begun in Europe about 1100 BC)

Etymology

From iron + age, in the mythological sense a calque of Latin saecula ferrea, aetas ferrea; in the archaeological sense a calque of Danish jernalder.

This word in other languages

Edad del Hierro(Español)âge du fer(Français)Eisenzeit(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Iron Age"?
"Iron Age" is spelled I-R-O-N- -A-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʌɪən eɪdʒ/.
What does "Iron Age" mean?
As a proper noun, "Iron Age" means: The most recent and debased of the four or five classical Ages of Man; hence, any period characterized by wicked behavior.
How do you pronounce "Iron Age"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Iron Age" is /ˈʌɪən eɪdʒ/. 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 "Iron Age"?
From iron + age, in the mythological sense a calque of Latin saecula ferrea, aetas ferrea; in the archaeological sense a calque of Danish jernalder. 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.

Using “Iron Age”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is I-R-O-N- -A-G-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈʌɪən eɪdʒ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list