punch line
/ˈpʌntʃˌlaɪn/
"punch-line" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“punch line” 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 September 3, 2026) - The final part of a joke; the word, sentence, or exchange of sentences that is intended to be funny and provokes laughter from the listeners.
Corpus desk
Index EN-punch-line · punch line · English
punch line · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 10 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "P" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | punch line |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈpʌntʃˌlaɪn/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “punch line” in English
Rare enough to double-check
punch line is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpʌntʃˌlaɪn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for punch line in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: 1910s, probably American. It was probably meant to be likened to a quick, sharp punch. The correct English form is punch line, spelled P-U-N-C-H- -L-I-N-E.
Definition
- 1The final part of a joke; the word, sentence, or exchange of sentences that is intended to be funny and provokes laughter from the listeners.
- 2The butt of a joke; laughing stock.
- 3A final, concluding statement that an explanation has been leading up to; a conclusion.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how punch line appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
That was quite a build-up for such a puny punch line.
While explaining a punchline might initially kill the joke, Roberts claims it can shed light on the use of humour in language and help students remember the gag for future use.
Etymology
1910s, probably American. It was probably meant to be likened to a quick, sharp punch.
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.