protractor
/pɹəˈtɹæktə(ɹ)/
"protractor" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“protractor” is an uncommon English word, ranked #88,742 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #88,742
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who, or that which, protracts, or causes protraction.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | protractor |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /pɹəˈtɹæktə(ɹ)/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #88,742 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “protractor” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for protractor is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɹəˈtɹæktə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #88,742 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for protractor, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From protract + -or. The correct English form is protractor, spelled P-R-O-T-R-A-C-T-O-R.
Definition
- 1One who, or that which, protracts, or causes protraction.
- 2A circular or semicircular tool for drawing or measuring angles.
- 3An instrument formerly used in extracting foreign or offensive matter from a wound.
- 4A muscle that extends an organ or part; opposed to retractor.
- 5An adjustable pattern used by tailors.
Etymology
From protract + -or.
Synonyms
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
How do you spell "protractor"?
What does "protractor" mean?
How do you pronounce "protractor"?
What is the origin of the word "protractor"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “protractor”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-R-O-T-R-A-C-T-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /pɹəˈtɹæktə(ɹ)/ (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
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.