one-armed bandit
/ˌwʌnɑːmd ˈbændɪt/
"one-armed-bandit" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“one-armed bandit” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 16
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A gaming machine having a long arm-like handle at one side that a player pulls down to make reels spin; the player wins money or tokens when certain combinations of symbols line up on these reels.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | one-armed bandit |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌwʌnɑːmd ˈbændɪt/ |
| Letters | 16 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “one-armed bandit” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
one-armed bandit is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌwʌnɑːmd ˈbændɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
No misspelling variants are generated for one-armed bandit in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From one-armed (“having only one arm”) + bandit (“one who robs others in a lawless area, especially as part of a group; one who cheats others”), referring to the fact that the machine is operated by a single handle, and “steals” money from losing players. The correct English form is one-armed bandit, spelled O-N-E---A-R-M-E-D- -B-A-N-D-I-T.
Definition
- 1A gaming machine having a long arm-like handle at one side that a player pulls down to make reels spin; the player wins money or tokens when certain combinations of symbols line up on these reels.
- 2Synonym of penny-in-the-slot machine.
Etymology
From one-armed (“having only one arm”) + bandit (“one who robs others in a lawless area, especially as part of a group; one who cheats others”), referring to the fact that the machine is operated by a single handle, and “steals” money from losing players.
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
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Using “one-armed bandit”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is O-N-E---A-R-M-E-D- -B-A-N-D-I-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌwʌnɑːmd ˈbændɪt/ (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.