shackle

/ˈʃækl̩/

//ˈʃækl̩// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"shackle" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“shackle” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #49,630. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#49,630
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A restraint fitted over a human or animal appendage, such as an ankle, finger, or wrist, normally used in a pair joined by a chain.

Corpus desk

Index EN-shackle · shackle · English

shackle · rank #49,630 · 11 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #49,630
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH shapely

Nearest frequency peer: shapely (+1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “shackle”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “shackle” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

shackle vs shake
71% similar
shackle vs shale
71% similar
shackle vs sickle
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for shackle
PropertyValue
Headwordshackle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʃækl̩/
Letters7
Frequency rank#49,630
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “shackle”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).shacklelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “shapely” (#49,631), “sevenfold” (#49,628), “shellac” (#49,632). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “shackle” is #49,630. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around shackle (IPA /ˈʃækl̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #49,630 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for shackle, with forms such as "hsackle", "sahckle", and "shacckle". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "shake", "shale", "sickle", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English shakel, schakkyl, schakle (“a fetter, shackle; coupling used to connect a plough or wagon to a draft chain”), from Old English sċacul, sċeacel, sċeacul (“fetter, shackle”), from Proto-West Germanic *skakul, from Proto-Germanic *skakulaz … The correct English form is shackle, spelled S-H-A-C-K-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A restraint fitted over a human or animal appendage, such as an ankle, finger, or wrist, normally used in a pair joined by a chain.
  2. 2
    A restraint fitted over a human or animal appendage, such as an ankle, finger, or wrist, normally used in a pair joined by a chain.
  3. 3
    A restraint fitted over a human or animal appendage, such as an ankle, finger, or wrist, normally used in a pair joined by a chain.
  4. 4
    A restraint fitted over a human or animal appendage, such as an ankle, finger, or wrist, normally used in a pair joined by a chain.
  5. 5
    A restraint fitted over a human or animal appendage, such as an ankle, finger, or wrist, normally used in a pair joined by a chain.
  6. 6
    A restraint fitted over a human or animal appendage, such as an ankle, finger, or wrist, normally used in a pair joined by a chain.
  7. 7
    A restraint fitted over a human or animal appendage, such as an ankle, finger, or wrist, normally used in a pair joined by a chain.
  8. 8
    A restraint fitted over a human or animal appendage, such as an ankle, finger, or wrist, normally used in a pair joined by a chain.
  9. 9
    A restraint on one's action, activity, or progress.
  10. 10
    A length of cable or chain equal to 12½ fathoms (75 feet or about 22.9 metres), or later to 15 fathoms (90 feet or about 27.4 metres).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how shackle appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The prisoner lay in shackles in his gloomy cell.
  2. Slaves cannot breathe in England; if their lungs / Receive our air, that moment they are free, / They touch our country and their ſhackles fall. / That's noble, and beſpeaks a nation proud / And jealous of the bleſſing.

Etymology

From Middle English shakel, schakkyl, schakle (“a fetter, shackle; coupling used to connect a plough or wagon to a draft chain”), from Old English sċacul, sċeacel, sċeacul (“fetter, shackle”), from Proto-West Germanic *skakul, from Proto-Germanic *skakulaz (“shackle”), possibly from *skakaną (“to shake; to swing; to escape”), from Proto-Indo-European *skeg-, *skek- (“to shake; to stir”). However, this is doubted by the Oxford English Dictionary because *skeg-, *skek- lack the meaning of attaching or fastening. Etymology 1 sense 3 (“length of cable or chain equal to 12½ or 15 fathoms”) derives from the original distance between two shackles (etymology 1 sense 1.1.3) connecting lengths of cable or chain together. Cognates * Danish skagle (“carriage trace”) * Dutch schakel (“clasp; link; shackle”) * German Schäckel (“shackle”) * Icelandic skökull (“carriage pole”) * Swedish skakel (“loose shaft of a carriage”)

This word in other languages

grillete(Español)fers(Français)Fessel(Deutsch)grilhão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hsackle
  • sahckle
  • shacckle
  • shackel
  • shackkle
  • shacklle
  • shaclke
  • shakcle
  • shcakle
  • shhackle
  • sshackle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of shackle - 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.

hsackle2sahckle2shacckle1shackel2shackkle1shacklle1shaclke2shakcle2
Edit distance from "shackle"

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 "shackle"?
"shackle" is spelled S-H-A-C-K-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʃækl̩/.
What does "shackle" mean?
As a noun, "shackle" means: A restraint fitted over a human or animal appendage, such as an ankle, finger, or wrist, normally used in a pair joined by a chain.
What words are commonly confused with "shackle"?
"shackle" is commonly confused with "shake", "shale", "sickle". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "shackle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "shackle" is /ˈʃækl̩/. 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 "shackle"?
From Middle English shakel, schakkyl, schakle (“a fetter, shackle; coupling used to connect a plough or wagon to a draft chain”), from Old English sċacul, sċeacel, sċeacul (“fetter, shackle”), from Proto-West Germanic *skakul, from Proto-Germanic ... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "shackle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

shapely#49,631shellac#49,632sealant#49,624skirted#49,637

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

stilted11 variantsSumitomo11 variantsrostrum11 variantssupplant11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list