pommel
/ˈpɒ.məl/
"pommel" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“pommel” is uncommon English (frequency #55,024 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #55,024
- frequency rank, English
- 46,516
- “P” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The upper front brow of a saddle.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | pommel |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈpɒ.məl/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #55,024 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “pommel” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
pommel is uncommon English at frequency #55,024 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɒ.məl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for pommel, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable 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 Middle English pomel, from Old French pomel and Medieval Latin pomellum, pumellum, presumedly via Vulgar Latin *pomellum (“ball, knob”), the diminutive of Late Latin pōmum (“apple”). Compare French pommeau, Spanish pomo, and Swedish pumla. The correct English form is pommel, spelled P-O-M-M-E-L.
Definition
- 1The upper front brow of a saddle.
- 2A rounded knob or handle.
- 3A rounded knob or handle.
- 4A rounded knob or handle.
- 5The bat used in the game of knurr and spell or trap ball.
Etymology
From Middle English pomel, from Old French pomel and Medieval Latin pomellum, pumellum, presumedly via Vulgar Latin *pomellum (“ball, knob”), the diminutive of Late Latin pōmum (“apple”). Compare French pommeau, Spanish pomo, and Swedish pumla.
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); 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
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Using “pommel”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-O-M-M-E-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpɒ.məl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Other uncommon English words near this rank
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.