pocketbook
/ˈpɑ.kɪtˌbʊk/noun
pocketbook is spelled P-O-C-K-E-T-B-O-O-K: 10 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 43,663rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, pocketbook means “A purse or handbag” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of pocketbook is pocketbooks.
How many letters and syllables are in pocketbook?
| Letters | 10: P-O-C-K-E-T-B-O-O-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 43,663rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is pocketbook?
Pocketbook appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 43,663rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce pocketbook?
- UK /ˈpɒ.kɪt.bʊk/
- US /ˈpɑ.kɪtˌbʊk/
Pocketbook has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-pocketbook.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with pocketbook
Also written: pocket-book (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of pocketbook
- pocketbooks plural
- pocket-book
- pocket book
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pocketbook mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
USA purse or handbag.
- 2
datedA wallet for paper money.
- 3
One's personal budget or financial capacity; the amount one can afford.
- 4
A small book, particularly (US) a paperback or (UK) notebook able to fit into a pocket (of any genre, from reference work to fine art).
The publishers brought out small format pocketbooks of the whole of their nature series.
- 5
A romance novel published as a small paperback.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pocketbook in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Handtasche , persönliche Brieftasche, persönlicher Geldbeutel , Taschenbuch |
| French | livre de poche, pocket |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does pocketbook come from?
1610s, from pocket + book, popularized in its sense as a paperback by the success of Pocket Books in the United States after its 1939 launch.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).