pillowcase

/ˈpɪləʊˌkeɪs/

//ˈpɪləʊˌkeɪs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“pillowcase” is uncommon English (frequency #50,153 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,153
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A washable, easily removable cloth cover for pillows.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pillowcase · pillowcase · English

pillowcase · rank #50,153 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #50,153
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH Pincus

Nearest frequency peer: Pincus (+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 “pillowcase”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for pillowcase
PropertyValue
Headwordpillowcase
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɪləʊˌkeɪs/
Letters10
Frequency rank#50,153
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “pillowcase” 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).pillowcasefalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “Pincus” (#50,154), “PGP” (#50,151), “plausibility” (#50,155). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “pillowcase” is #50,153. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

pillowcase is uncommon English at frequency #50,153 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɪləʊˌkeɪs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A washable, easily removable cloth cover for pillows.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for pillowcase, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From pillow + case. The correct English form is pillowcase, spelled P-I-L-L-O-W-C-A-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A washable, easily removable cloth cover for pillows.

Etymology

From pillow + case.

Synonyms

pillowslip

This word in other languages

taie d'oreiller(Français)Kopfkissenbezug(Deutsch)fronha(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 "pillowcase"?
"pillowcase" is spelled P-I-L-L-O-W-C-A-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɪləʊˌkeɪs/.
What does "pillowcase" mean?
As a noun, "pillowcase" means: A washable, easily removable cloth cover for pillows.
How do you pronounce "pillowcase"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pillowcase" is /ˈpɪləʊˌkeɪs/. 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 "pillowcase"?
From pillow + case. 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 "pillowcase", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

prepayment#50,163paraplegic#50,140nightshade#50,109selectable#50,217

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list