pitman

/ˈpɪt.mən/

//ˈpɪt.mən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“pitman” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #41,810. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#41,810
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who works in a pit, as in mining, in sawing timber, etc.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pitman · pitman · English

pitman · rank #41,810 · 9 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #41,810
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH plying

Nearest frequency peer: plying (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “pitman”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “pitman” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

pitman vs postman
71% similar
pitman vs Portman
57% similar
pitman vs pita
67% similar

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

Key facts for pitman
PropertyValue
Headwordpitman
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈpɪt.mən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#41,810
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “pitman”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).pitmanlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “plying” (#41,811), “photocopy” (#41,808), “pmo” (#41,812). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “pitman” is #41,810. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around pitman (IPA /ˈpɪt.mən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #41,810 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for pitman, with forms such as "iptman", "pimtan", and "pitamn". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "postman", "Portman", "pita", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From pit + -man. The correct English form is pitman, spelled P-I-T-M-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who works in a pit, as in mining, in sawing timber, etc.
  2. 2
    A connecting rod in machinery, especially in a sawmill.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The train proceeded to North Pittington Colliery, 600 yd. away, where the Duke viewed the new winning, examined the pumping and drawing engines, and saw how pitmen descended and ascended the shaft.

Etymology

From pit + -man.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iptman
  • pimtan
  • pitamn
  • pitmann
  • pitmman
  • pitmna
  • pittman
  • ppitman
  • ptiman

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

iptman2pimtan2pitamn2pitmann1pitmman1pitmna2pittman1ppitman1
Edit distance from "pitman"

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 "pitman"?
"pitman" is spelled P-I-T-M-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpɪt.mən/.
What does "pitman" mean?
As a noun, "pitman" means: One who works in a pit, as in mining, in sawing timber, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "pitman"?
"pitman" is commonly confused with "postman", "Portman", "pita". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "pitman"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pitman" is /ˈpɪt.mən/. 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 "pitman"?
From pit + -man. 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 "pitman", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

plying#41,811preyed#41,823pulsar#41,829putrid#41,830

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

ramped9 variantsregalia9 variantsmuffler9 variantsroyally9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list