petard

/pɪˈtɑːd/

//pɪˈtɑːd// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"petard" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“petard” is uncommon English (frequency #97,432 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#97,432
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A small, hat-shaped explosive device, used to breach a door or wall.

Key facts for petard
PropertyValue
Headwordpetard
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɪˈtɑːd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#97,432
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “petard” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). petard lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

petard is uncommon English at frequency #97,432 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /pɪˈtɑːd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

petard doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French petard; see Modern French pétard (“firecracker”). The correct English form is petard, spelled P-E-T-A-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small, hat-shaped explosive device, used to breach a door or wall.
  2. 2
    Anything potentially explosive, in a non-literal sense.
  3. 3
    A loud firecracker.

Etymology

From Middle French petard; see Modern French pétard (“firecracker”).

This word in other languages

pétard(Français)Petarde(Deutsch)petardo(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "petard"?
"petard" is spelled P-E-T-A-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /pɪˈtɑːd/.
What does "petard" mean?
As a noun, "petard" means: A small, hat-shaped explosive device, used to breach a door or wall.
How do you pronounce "petard"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "petard" is /pɪˈtɑːd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "petard"?
From Middle French petard; see Modern French pétard (“firecracker”). 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.

Using “petard”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is P-E-T-A-R-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pɪˈtɑːd/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list