rucksack

/ˈɹʌkˌsæk/

//ˈɹʌkˌsæk// noun

"rucksack" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“rucksack” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #45,060 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#45,060
frequency rank, English
8
letters
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A bag carried on the back or shoulder, supported by straps.

Key facts for rucksack
PropertyValue
Headwordrucksack
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹʌkˌsæk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#45,060
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rucksack” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for rucksack is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɹʌkˌsæk/. Corpus data places it at rank #45,060 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A bag carried on the back or shoulder, supported by straps.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for rucksack, with forms such as "rcuksack", "rrucksack", and "ruccksack". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from German Rucksack. The correct English form is rucksack, spelled R-U-C-K-S-A-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A bag carried on the back or shoulder, supported by straps.

Etymology

Borrowed from German Rucksack.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rcuksack,rrucksack,ruccksack,ruckasck,ruckksack,rucksacck,rucksackk,rucksakc,ruckscak,ruckssack,rucskack,rukcsack,urcksack

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of rucksack - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

rcuksack2rrucksack1ruccksack1ruckasck2ruckksack1rucksacck1rucksackk1rucksakc2
Edit distance from "rucksack"

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 "rucksack"?
"rucksack" is spelled R-U-C-K-S-A-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹʌkˌsæk/.
What does "rucksack" mean?
As a noun, "rucksack" means: A bag carried on the back or shoulder, supported by straps.
What are common misspellings of "rucksack"?
Common misspellings include "rcuksack", "rrucksack", "ruccksack", "ruckasck", "ruckksack". The correct spelling is "rucksack".
How do you pronounce "rucksack"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rucksack" is /ˈɹʌkˌsæk/. 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 "rucksack"?
Borrowed from German Rucksack. 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.

Using “rucksack”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is R-U-C-K-S-A-C-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹʌkˌsæk/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list