pillbox

/ˈpɪl bɒks/

//ˈpɪl bɒks// noun

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

"pillbox" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pillbox” is uncommon English (frequency #72,649 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#72,649
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small box in which pills are kept.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pillbox · pillbox · English

pillbox · rank #72,649 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #72,649
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH pilcher

Nearest frequency peer: pilcher (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “pillbox”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “pillbox” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for pillbox
PropertyValue
Headwordpillbox
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɪl bɒks/
Letters7
Frequency rank#72,649
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pillbox” 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).pillboxlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “pilcher” (#72,648), “pinner” (#72,650), “pidgeon” (#72,646). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

pillbox is uncommon English at frequency #72,649 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɪl bɒks/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for pillbox, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From pill + box. The correct English form is pillbox, spelled P-I-L-L-B-O-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small box in which pills are kept.
  2. 2
    A flat, concrete gun emplacement.
  3. 3
    A doctor's carriage.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. There is a list of possessions auctioned after her death – her pillboxes and playing cards, two silver-mounted ivory lemon-squeezers.
  2. It was reported that the Germans had established trench works in front of the pillboxes. The enemy was said to have taken refuge from American fire in the pillboxes, later emerging to take up the trench positions.

Etymology

From pill + box.

This word in other languages

pastillero(Español)pilulier(Français)Tablettendose(Deutsch)

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 "pillbox"?
"pillbox" is spelled P-I-L-L-B-O-X. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɪl bɒks/.
What does "pillbox" mean?
As a noun, "pillbox" means: A small box in which pills are kept.
How do you pronounce "pillbox"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pillbox" is /ˈpɪl bɒks/. 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 "pillbox"?
From pill + box. 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 "pillbox", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

pilcher#72,648pidgeon#72,646piquant#72,652pounces#72,666

What to do next

You've looked up "pillbox". Here's where to go from here.

  • Usage frequency rank #72,649 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "P" letter cohort. P–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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