plummet

/ˈplʌmɪt/

//ˈplʌmɪt// noun

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

"plummet" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“plummet” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,019. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,019
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A piece of lead attached to a line, used in sounding the depth of water; a plumb bob or a plumb line.

Corpus desk

Index EN-plummet · plummet · English

plummet · rank #35,019 · 9 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #35,019
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH plantings

Nearest frequency peer: plantings (-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 “plummet”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “plummet” 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).

plummet vs plume
71% similar
plummet vs plumes
71% similar
plummet vs plumber
71% similar

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

Key facts for plummet
PropertyValue
Headwordplummet
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈplʌmɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#35,019
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “plummet”

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).plummetlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “plantings” (#35,018), “pirated” (#35,017), “Pilate” (#35,016). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “plummet” is #35,019. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around plummet (IPA /ˈplʌmɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #35,019 among 4,417 “P” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for plummet, with forms such as "lpummet", "pllummet", and "plmumet". 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, "plume", "plumes", "plumber", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English plommet (“ball of lead, plumb of a bob-line”), recorded since 1382, from Old French plommet or plomet, the diminutive of plom, plum (“lead, sounding lead”), from Latin plumbum (“lead”). The verb is first recorded in 1626, originally mean… The correct English form is plummet, spelled P-L-U-M-M-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A piece of lead attached to a line, used in sounding the depth of water; a plumb bob or a plumb line.
  2. 2
    Hence, any weight.
  3. 3
    A piece of lead formerly used by schoolchildren to rule paper for writing (that is, to mark with rules, with lines).
  4. 4
    A violent or dramatic fall.
  5. 5
    A decline; a fall; a drop.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I'le ſeeke him deeper than ere plummet ſounded, / And with him there lye mudded.
  2. Iudgement also will I lay to the line, and righteousnesse to the plummet: and the haile shall sweepe away the refuge of lyes, and the waters shall ouerflow the hiding place.

Etymology

From Middle English plommet (“ball of lead, plumb of a bob-line”), recorded since 1382, from Old French plommet or plomet, the diminutive of plom, plum (“lead, sounding lead”), from Latin plumbum (“lead”). The verb is first recorded in 1626, originally meaning “to fathom, take soundings", from the noun.

This word in other languages

plomada(Español)fil à plomb(Français)Lot(Deutsch)prumo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • lpummet
  • pllummet
  • plmumet
  • plumemt
  • plumet
  • plummett
  • plummte
  • pplummet
  • pulmmet

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of plummet - 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.

lpummet2pllummet1plmumet2plumemt2plumet1plummett1plummte2pplummet1
Edit distance from "plummet"

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 "plummet"?
"plummet" is spelled P-L-U-M-M-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈplʌmɪt/.
What does "plummet" mean?
As a noun, "plummet" means: A piece of lead attached to a line, used in sounding the depth of water; a plumb bob or a plumb line.
What words are commonly confused with "plummet"?
"plummet" is commonly confused with "plume", "plumes", "plumber". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "plummet"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "plummet" is /ˈplʌmɪt/. 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 "plummet"?
From Middle English plommet (“ball of lead, plumb of a bob-line”), recorded since 1382, from Old French plommet or plomet, the diminutive of plom, plum (“lead, sounding lead”), from Latin plumbum (“lead”). The verb is first recorded in 1626, origi... 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 "plummet", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

pirated#35,017phalanx#35,014potters#35,024pounder#35,025

Similar misspelling depth

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

puking9 variantsomelette9 variantsramble9 variantsOfsted9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list