scuttlebutt
/ˈskʌtəlbʌt/
"scuttlebutt" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“scuttlebutt” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 11
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Originally (now chiefly historical), a cask with a hole cut into its top, used to provide drinking water on board a ship; now (by extension, informal), a drinking fountain on a modern ship.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | scuttlebutt |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈskʌtəlbʌt/ |
| Letters | 11 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “scuttlebutt” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for scuttlebutt is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈskʌtəlbʌt/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No misspelling variants are generated for scuttlebutt in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is derived from scuttle (“to cut a hole through (something)”) + butt (“wooden cask”). Noun sense 2 (“gossip, idle chatter; rumour”) refers to the fact that sailors would gather around the scuttlebutt to drink and exchange gossip; compare furphy and… The correct English form is scuttlebutt, spelled S-C-U-T-T-L-E-B-U-T-T.
Definition
- 1Originally (now chiefly historical), a cask with a hole cut into its top, used to provide drinking water on board a ship; now (by extension, informal), a drinking fountain on a modern ship.
- 2Gossip, idle chatter; also, rumour.
Etymology
The noun is derived from scuttle (“to cut a hole through (something)”) + butt (“wooden cask”). Noun sense 2 (“gossip, idle chatter; rumour”) refers to the fact that sailors would gather around the scuttlebutt to drink and exchange gossip; compare furphy and water cooler. The verb is derived from the noun.
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
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Using “scuttlebutt”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-C-U-T-T-L-E-B-U-T-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈskʌtəlbʌt/ (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.