ploughshare

/ˈplaʊˌʃɛə/

//ˈplaʊˌʃɛə// noun

"ploughshare" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The cutting edge of a plough, typically a metal blade.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ploughshare · ploughshare · English

ploughshare · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 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 ploughshare
PropertyValue
Headwordploughshare
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈplaʊˌʃɛə/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “ploughshare” in English

ploughsharefalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

ploughshare is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈplaʊˌʃɛə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The cutting edge of a plough, typically a metal blade.".

ploughshare has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From plough + share. The correct English form is ploughshare, spelled P-L-O-U-G-H-S-H-A-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The cutting edge of a plough, typically a metal blade.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Holonyms: plough, plow < implement

Etymology

From plough + share.

This word in other languages

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 "ploughshare"?
"ploughshare" is spelled P-L-O-U-G-H-S-H-A-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈplaʊˌʃɛə/.
What does "ploughshare" mean?
As a noun, "ploughshare" means: The cutting edge of a plough, typically a metal blade.
How do you pronounce "ploughshare"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ploughshare" is /ˈplaʊˌʃɛə/. 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 "ploughshare"?
From plough + share. 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