monkey wrench
"monkey-wrench" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“monkey wrench” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 13
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A wrench (spanner) with an adjustable jaw.
Corpus desk
Index EN-monkey-wrench · monkey wrench · English
monkey wrench · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 13 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "M" 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 | monkey wrench |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 13 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “monkey wrench” in English
Rare enough to double-check
monkey wrench is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
monkey wrench has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: Already in use, and not unfamiliar among mechanics, by 1832; see discussion and references at Monkey wrench § Etymology and history. The correct English form is monkey wrench, spelled M-O-N-K-E-Y- -W-R-E-N-C-H.
Definition
- 1A wrench (spanner) with an adjustable jaw.
- 2An unexpected or troublesome problem, obstacle or dilemma.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how monkey wrench appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Did you ever stop to think whether or not you knew how a monkey wrench should be used?
With a monkey wrench on the hexagonal part of the stuffing box unscrew the stuffing box from the body of the faucet.
Etymology
Already in use, and not unfamiliar among mechanics, by 1832; see discussion and references at Monkey wrench § Etymology and history.
Synonyms
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.