pawl
/pɔːl/
"pawl" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“pawl” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 4
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A pivoted catch designed to fall into a notch on a ratchet wheel so as to allow movement in only one direction (e.g. on a windlass or in a clock mechanism), or alternatively to move the wheel in on...
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | pawl |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /pɔːl/ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “pawl” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
pawl is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /pɔːl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for pawl, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: 17th c., perhaps from Low German or Dutch pal (“catch (mechanism)”), or from either French pal (“stake”) or épaule (“shoulder”). The correct English form is pawl, spelled P-A-W-L.
Definition
- 1A pivoted catch designed to fall into a notch on a ratchet wheel so as to allow movement in only one direction (e.g. on a windlass or in a clock mechanism), or alternatively to move the wheel in one direction.
- 2A similar device to prevent motion in other mechanisms besides ratchets.
Etymology
17th c., perhaps from Low German or Dutch pal (“catch (mechanism)”), or from either French pal (“stake”) or épaule (“shoulder”).
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 “pawl”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-A-W-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /pɔːl/ (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.