kettledrum

noun

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A large percussion instrument with a drumhead that is stretched over a hemispherical metal bowl.

Corpus desk

Index EN-kettledrum · kettledrum · English

kettledrum · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 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.

Key facts for kettledrum
PropertyValue
Headwordkettledrum
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “kettledrum” in English

kettledrumfalls 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

kettledrum is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for kettledrum, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. 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 kettle + drum. The correct English form is kettledrum, spelled K-E-T-T-L-E-D-R-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large percussion instrument with a drumhead that is stretched over a hemispherical metal bowl.
  2. 2
    An informal social party at which a light snack is offered, held in the afternoon or early evening.

Etymology

From kettle + drum.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "kettledrum"?
"kettledrum" is spelled K-E-T-T-L-E-D-R-U-M.
What does "kettledrum" mean?
As a noun, "kettledrum" means: A large percussion instrument with a drumhead that is stretched over a hemispherical metal bowl.
What is the origin of the word "kettledrum"?
From kettle + drum. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list