keelhaul
/ˈkiːlhɔːl/
"keelhaul" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“keelhaul” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To punish by dragging under the keel of a ship with the intent of causing painful injuries.
Corpus desk
Index EN-keelhaul · keelhaul · English
keelhaul · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 8 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "K" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | keelhaul |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈkiːlhɔːl/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “keelhaul” in English
Rare enough to double-check
keelhaul is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈkiːlhɔːl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
keelhaul has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Dutch kielhalen (“keelhaul”), from kiel (“keel”) + halen (“fetch; catch”). The correct English form is keelhaul, spelled K-E-E-L-H-A-U-L.
Definition
- 1To punish by dragging under the keel of a ship with the intent of causing painful injuries.
- 2To rebuke harshly.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how keelhaul appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
March 11 [1667].—Hermans Jans, boatswain; disobedience of orders and stabbing his captain; sentenced to be degraded to common seaman, to be thrice keelhauled, to be well flogged, to have the knife stuck through his hand, and to forfeit, pro fisco, 6 months' wages.
By degrees they became noisier and noisier, their conversation principally turning on that infernal naval lieutenant, as they were pleased to designate me, and what they intended to do with him. Some suggested “keelhauling” him; others, a dose of his favourite cat-o’nine tails; whilst many advised making a target of him for a little practice with that rev…
Etymology
From Dutch kielhalen (“keelhaul”), from kiel (“keel”) + halen (“fetch; catch”).
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.