padlock
pad·lock/ˈpædˌlɑk/noun, verb
padlock is spelled P-A-D-L-O-C-K: 7 letters and 2 syllables (pad·lock). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,680th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, padlock means “A detachable lock that can be used to secure something by means of a sliding or hinged shackle” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of padlock is padlocks.
How many letters and syllables are in padlock?
| Letters | 7: P-A-D-L-O-C-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: pad·lock |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 42,680th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is padlock?
Padlock appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,680th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce padlock?
- UK /ˈpæ̞dˌlɒk/
- US /ˈpædˌlɑk/
- Australia /ˈpæ̞dˌlɔk/
Padlock has 2 syllables, split pad·lock in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-padlock.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of padlock
- padlocks plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- padlocking participle, present
- padlocked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does padlock mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A detachable lock that can be used to secure something by means of a sliding or hinged shackle
verb
- 1
To lock using a padlock.
Janitors padlock the gates.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Padlock in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | cadenas , cadenasser |
| German | Vorhängeschloss , mit einem Vorhängeschloss verschließen |
| Portuguese | cadeado, aloquete , cadear, trancar |
| Spanish | candado , candar, asegurar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does padlock come from?
From earlier pad lock (19th c.); Middle English padlock, padlokke, from pad-, of unknown origin, + lok (“lock”). Perhaps originally a lock for a pad (“gate”), or a gate opening to a path, or a lock for a basket or pannier, from UK dialect pad (“a pannier”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).