roundhouse
/ˈɹaʊndˌhaʊs/noun, verb
roundhouse is spelled R-O-U-N-D-H-O-U-S-E: 10 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,943rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, roundhouse means “A circular prison, especially a small local lockup or station house” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of roundhouse is roundhouses.
How many letters and syllables are in roundhouse?
| Letters | 10: R-O-U-N-D-H-O-U-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 37,943rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is roundhouse?
Roundhouse appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,943rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce roundhouse?
- US /ˈɹaʊndˌhaʊs/
Roundhouse has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-roundhouse.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with roundhouse
Also written: round house (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of roundhouse
- roundhouses plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- round house
- roundhousing participle, present
- roundhoused participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does roundhouse mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A circular prison, especially a small local lockup or station house.
[T]he gentlemen in the coffee room insisted upon the watch being called, or a constable. With considerable difficulty the two heroes were carried off to the round-house, and there lodged for the night.
- 2
A traditional circular dwelling elevated on stilts with a conical roof found in part of Southeast Asia.
- 3
A prehistoric dwelling typical of northwest Europe in the Iron Age and Bronze Age.
- 4
The uppermost room or cabin of any note upon the stern of a ship.
- 5
A privy near the bow of a vessel, especially as reserved for officers.
- 6
A circular building in which locomotives are housed, sometimes with a turntable.
- 7
USA punch or kick delivered with an exaggerated sweeping movement.
- 8
In the game of pinochle, a meld consisting of a queen and king in each of the four suits.
verb
- 1
To punch or kick with an exaggerated sweeping movement.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Roundhouse in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense A prehistoric dwelling typical of northwest Europe:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Rundhaus |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does roundhouse come from?
From round + house, a calque of Dutch rondhuis (“guardhouse”). First attested in the Mid-15th c.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).