pigeonhole

/ˈpɪdʒ(ɪ)nhəʊl/

//ˈpɪdʒ(ɪ)nhəʊl// noun

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

"pigeonhole" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pigeonhole” is uncommon English (frequency #75,297 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,297
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One of an array of open compartments for housing pigeons in a dovecote or pigeon loft.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pigeonhole · pigeonhole · English

pigeonhole · rank #75,297 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #75,297
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH Pillay

Nearest frequency peer: Pillay (+1 rank slots)

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.

Long-tail ranks near “pigeonhole”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “pigeonhole” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for pigeonhole
PropertyValue
Headwordpigeonhole
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɪdʒ(ɪ)nhəʊl/
Letters10
Frequency rank#75,297
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “pigeonhole” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).pigeonholefalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Pillay” (#75,298), “pimento” (#75,299), “photoreceptor” (#75,294). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “pigeonhole” is #75,297. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

pigeonhole is uncommon English at frequency #75,297 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɪdʒ(ɪ)nhəʊl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 11 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for pigeonhole, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is derived from pigeon + hole. The verb is derived from the noun. The correct English form is pigeonhole, spelled P-I-G-E-O-N-H-O-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    One of an array of open compartments for housing pigeons in a dovecote or pigeon loft.
  2. 2
    A hole or opening in a door or wall for a pigeon to pass through.
  3. 3
    One of an array of open compartments in a desk, set of shelves, etc., used for sorting or storing letters, papers, or other items.
  4. 4
    One of an array of open compartments in a desk, set of shelves, etc., used for sorting or storing letters, papers, or other items.
  5. 5
    A compartment or cubicle in a room or other place, especially one which is (excessively) small.
  6. 6
    A small opening for looking or passing things through.
  7. 7
    A small opening for looking or passing things through.
  8. 8
    A form of stocks with openings for restraining a person's hands or feet; also, one of the openings in the device.
  9. 9
    A seat in the top row of the gallery of a theatre.
  10. 10
    A notional category or class into which someone or something is placed.
  11. 11
    A space between two words that is too wide.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how pigeonhole appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The loft was lighted by a semicircular hole, though which the pigeons crept to their lodgings in the same high quarters of the premises; […] 'Dear Clym, I wonder how your face looks now?' she said, gazing abstractedly at the pigeon-hole, which admitted the sunlight so directly upon her brown hair and transparent tissues that it almost seemed to shine thro…
  2. Abbé [Emmanuel Joseph] Sieyès has vvhole neſts of pigeon-holes full of conſtitutions ready made, ticketed, ſorted, and numbered; ſuited to every ſeaſon and every fancy; […]

Etymology

The noun is derived from pigeon + hole. The verb is derived from the noun.

This word in other languages

casilla(Español)Fach(Deutsch)escaninho(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 "pigeonhole"?
"pigeonhole" is spelled P-I-G-E-O-N-H-O-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɪdʒ(ɪ)nhəʊl/.
What does "pigeonhole" mean?
As a noun, "pigeonhole" means: One of an array of open compartments for housing pigeons in a dovecote or pigeon loft.
How do you pronounce "pigeonhole"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pigeonhole" is /ˈpɪdʒ(ɪ)nhəʊl/. 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 "pigeonhole"?
The noun is derived from pigeon + hole. The verb is derived from the noun. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "pigeonhole", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

positivist#75,308perovskite#75,285profligacy#75,316profundity#75,317

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list