pistol

Name: pistol, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈpɪstəl/

//ˈpɪstəl// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“pistol” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,959 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,959
frequency rank, English: 6
letters: 9
tracked misspellings: 6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A handgun

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

pistol vs postal

67% similar

pistol vs piston

83% similar

pistol vs pinto

67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for pistol
Property	Value
Headword	pistol
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈpɪstəl/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#7,959
Misspellings tracked	9
Confusable pairs	6
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pistol” 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). pistol lands here:

#7,959

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for pistol is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpɪstəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,959 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for pistol, with forms such as "ipstol", "pisotl", and "pisstol". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "postal", "piston", "pinto", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Probably from Middle French pistole, or via Middle English pistolet, from Middle French pistolet (“small firearm or small dagger”). The origin is unclear. If via German to Romance probably from Middle High German forms like pischulle from Czech píšťala (“fi… The correct English form is pistol, spelled P-I-S-T-O-L.

Definition

1
A handgun
2
A handgun
3
The mechanical component of a fuse in a bomb or torpedo responsible for firing the detonator.
4
A lively, high-energy person.
5
An offensive formation in which the quarterback receives the snap at a distance behind the center, but closer than in a shotgun formation, with a running back lined up behind him.

Etymology

Probably from Middle French pistole, or via Middle English pistolet, from Middle French pistolet (“small firearm or small dagger”). The origin is unclear. If via German to Romance probably from Middle High German forms like pischulle from Czech píšťala (“firearm”, literally “tube, pipe”), from Proto-Slavic *piščalь, from *piskati, *piščati (“to squeak, whistle”), from Proto-Balto-Slavic *pīṣk-. Alternatively, if from Romance to German, from or related to Italian pistolese (“short dagger”), from Italian Pistoia (“a Tuscan town noted for its gunsmithing”).

This word in other languages

pistola(Español)pistolet(Français)Pistole(Deutsch)pistola(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ipstol,pisotl,pisstol,pistlo,pistoll,pisttol,pitsol,ppistol,psitol

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pistol - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "pistol"

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 "pistol"?

"pistol" is spelled P-I-S-T-O-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɪstəl/.

What does "pistol" mean?

As a noun, "pistol" means: A handgun

What words are commonly confused with "pistol"?

"pistol" is commonly confused with "postal", "piston", "pinto". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "pistol"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pistol" is /ˈpɪstəl/. 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 "pistol"?

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 “pistol”

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

The one correct English spelling is P-I-S-T-O-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈpɪstəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “postal” - see the side-by-side comparison. pistol vs postal
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

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.