potluck

/ˌpɒtˈlʌk/

//ˌpɒtˈlʌk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“potluck” is uncommon English (frequency #50,733 among 4,417 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,733
frequency rank, English
4,417
“P” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A meal, especially one offered to a guest, consisting of whatever food is available.

Corpus desk

Index EN-potluck · potluck · English

potluck · rank #50,733 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #50,733
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,417
  • PHOTO-FINISH postdoc

Nearest frequency peer: postdoc (-2 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.

Long-tail ranks near “potluck”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “potluck” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for potluck
PropertyValue
Headwordpotluck
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌpɒtˈlʌk/
Letters7
Frequency rank#50,733
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “potluck” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).potluckfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “postdoc” (#50,731), “precariously” (#50,735), “Prendergast” (#50,736). Among 4,417 “P” headwords, “potluck” is #50,733. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

potluck is uncommon English at frequency #50,733 among 4,417 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌpɒtˈlʌk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for potluck, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From pot + luck. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, sense 3 (“a shared meal consisting of whatever guests have brought”) is unlikely to have been influenced by potlatch even though it has the same meaning. The correct English form is potluck, spelled P-O-T-L-U-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A meal, especially one offered to a guest, consisting of whatever food is available.
  2. 2
    Whatever is available in a particular situation.
  3. 3
    A shared meal consisting of whatever guests have brought (sometimes without prior arrangement); a potlatch; also, a dish of food brought to such a meal.
  4. 4
    The last draft or portion of an alcoholic beverage in a pot or other drinking vessel.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Here are some leftover beans and meat; we can make a good potluck stew from them.
  2. During my Stay here, I was going to take Pot-Luck with Colonel Ingram, and accidentally meeting him in the Way, I told him I deſigned to ſoul a Plate with him, […]

Etymology

From pot + luck. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, sense 3 (“a shared meal consisting of whatever guests have brought”) is unlikely to have been influenced by potlatch even though it has the same meaning.

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 "potluck"?
"potluck" is spelled P-O-T-L-U-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌpɒtˈlʌk/.
What does "potluck" mean?
As a noun, "potluck" means: A meal, especially one offered to a guest, consisting of whatever food is available.
How do you pronounce "potluck"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "potluck" is /ˌpɒtˈlʌk/. 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 "potluck"?
From pot + luck. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, sense 3 (“a shared meal consisting of whatever guests have brought”) is unlikely to have been influenced by potlatch even though it has the same meaning. 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 "potluck", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

postdoc#50,731pricked#50,738prowler#50,744Queenie#50,754

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list