pitchfork

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

/ˈpɪt͡ʃˌfɔɹk/

//ˈpɪt͡ʃˌfɔɹk// noun

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

The verdict

“pitchfork” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,670. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,670
frequency rank, English: 46,516
“P” headwords: 15
tracked misspellings: 1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An agricultural tool comprising a fork with sparse, light tines, attached to a long handle, used for pitching hay (especially loose hay) high up onto a stack (as on a wagon or haystack, or into a h...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pitchfork vs patchwork

78% similar

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

Key facts for pitchfork
Property	Value
Headword	pitchfork
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈpɪt͡ʃˌfɔɹk/
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#28,670
Misspellings tracked	15
Confusable pairs	1
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “pitchfork” 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). pitchfork lands here:

#28,670

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

← used constantlyrarely used →

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around pitchfork (IPA /ˈpɪt͡ʃˌfɔɹk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,670 among 46,516 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for pitchfork, with forms such as "iptchfork", "picthfork", and "pitcchfork". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "patchwork", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English pichfork, pycchefork, pychforke, pikeforke, pikkforke, pic-forcke, equivalent to pitch + fork. The correct English form is pitchfork, spelled P-I-T-C-H-F-O-R-K.

Definition

1
An agricultural tool comprising a fork with sparse, light tines, attached to a long handle, used for pitching hay (especially loose hay) high up onto a stack (as on a wagon or haystack, or into a haymow).
2
A similar fork with slightly more and heavier tines, used for mucking stalls and pitching soiled bedding into a wagon or manure spreader.
3
Any fork used for farm labor, even a digging fork (but such usage is often considered ignorant by experienced farmers).
4
A tuning fork.

Etymology

From Middle English pichfork, pycchefork, pychforke, pikeforke, pikkforke, pic-forcke, equivalent to pitch + fork.

This word in other languages

bieldo(Español)fourche(Français)Heugabel(Deutsch)forcado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

iptchfork
picthfork
pitcchfork
pitcfhork
pitchffork
pitchfokr
pitchforkk
pitchforrk
pitchfrok
pitchhfork
pitchofrk
pithcfork
pittchfork
ppitchfork
ptichfork

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of pitchfork - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

Edit distance from "pitchfork"

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 "pitchfork"?

"pitchfork" is spelled P-I-T-C-H-F-O-R-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɪt͡ʃˌfɔɹk/.

What does "pitchfork" mean?

As a noun, "pitchfork" means: An agricultural tool comprising a fork with sparse, light tines, attached to a long handle, used for pitching hay (especially loose hay) high up onto a stack (as on a wagon or haystack, or into a h...

What words are commonly confused with "pitchfork"?

"pitchfork" is commonly confused with "patchwork". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "pitchfork"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pitchfork" is /ˈpɪt͡ʃˌfɔɹk/. 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 "pitchfork"?

From Middle English pichfork, pycchefork, pychforke, pikeforke, pikkforke, pic-forcke, equivalent to pitch + fork. 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 “pitchfork”

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

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

Same frequency band

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.