ploughman

/ˈplaʊ.mən/

//ˈplaʊ.mən// noun

"ploughman" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ploughman” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Alternative spelling of plowman.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ploughman · ploughman · English

ploughman · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for ploughman
PropertyValue
Headwordploughman
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈplaʊ.mən/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “ploughman” in English

ploughmanranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

ploughman is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈplaʊ.mən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Alternative spelling of plowman.".

No misspelling variants are generated for ploughman in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English plowman, ploghmon, plouȝman, equivalent to plough + man. Compare Middle Dutch ploechman. The correct English form is ploughman, spelled P-L-O-U-G-H-M-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Alternative spelling of plowman.

Etymology

From Middle English plowman, ploghmon, plouȝman, equivalent to plough + man. Compare Middle Dutch ploechman.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "ploughman"?
"ploughman" is spelled P-L-O-U-G-H-M-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈplaʊ.mən/.
What does "ploughman" mean?
As a noun, "ploughman" means: Alternative spelling of plowman.
How do you pronounce "ploughman"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ploughman" is /ˈplaʊ.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 "ploughman"?
From Middle English plowman, ploghmon, plouȝman, equivalent to plough + man. Compare Middle Dutch ploechman. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list