powder keg

noun

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

"powder-keg" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A barrel containing gunpowder.

Key facts for powder keg
PropertyValue
Headwordpowder keg
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “powder keg” sits in English frequency

powder keg falls 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

powder keg is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

powder keg doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct English form is powder keg, spelled P-O-W-D-E-R- -K-E-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A barrel containing gunpowder.
  2. 2
    An explosive or otherwise volatile situation.

Synonyms

tinderbox

This word in other languages

polvorín(Español)poudrière(Français)Pulverfass(Deutsch)

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 "powder keg"?
"powder keg" is spelled P-O-W-D-E-R- -K-E-G.
What does "powder keg" mean?
As a noun, "powder keg" means: A barrel containing gunpowder.
What language does "powder keg" come from?
"powder keg" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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.

Using “powder keg”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is P-O-W-D-E-R- -K-E-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list