pincer

/ˈpɪnsəɹ/

//ˈpɪnsəɹ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“pincer” is uncommon English (frequency #62,414 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,414
frequency rank, English
46,516
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any object that resembles one half of a pair of pincers.

Key facts for pincer
PropertyValue
Headwordpincer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɪnsəɹ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#62,414
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pincer” 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). pincer 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

pincer is uncommon English at frequency #62,414 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɪnsəɹ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Any object that resembles one half of a pair of pincers.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for pincer in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English pynsor, from Old French pinceure, pinchure, from pincier (“to pinch”). The correct English form is pincer, spelled P-I-N-C-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any object that resembles one half of a pair of pincers.

Etymology

From Middle English pynsor, from Old French pinceure, pinchure, from pincier (“to pinch”).

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 "pincer"?
"pincer" is spelled P-I-N-C-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɪnsəɹ/.
What does "pincer" mean?
As a noun, "pincer" means: Any object that resembles one half of a pair of pincers.
How do you pronounce "pincer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pincer" is /ˈpɪnsəɹ/. 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 "pincer"?
From Middle English pynsor, from Old French pinceure, pinchure, from pincier (“to pinch”). 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 “pincer”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-I-N-C-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpɪnsəɹ/ (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