sharpener

/ˈʃɑː(ɹ)pənə(ɹ)/

//ˈʃɑː(ɹ)pənə(ɹ)// noun

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

"sharpener" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sharpener” is uncommon English (frequency #51,385 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,385
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A device for making things sharp.

Key facts for sharpener
PropertyValue
Headwordsharpener
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʃɑː(ɹ)pənə(ɹ)/
Letters9
Frequency rank#51,385
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sharpener” 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). sharpener lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

sharpener is uncommon English at frequency #51,385 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈʃɑː(ɹ)pənə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for sharpener, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From sharpen + -er. The correct English form is sharpener, spelled S-H-A-R-P-E-N-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device for making things sharp.
  2. 2
    That which makes something sharp.
  3. 3
    An alcoholic drink taken at the start of the day, or just before a meal.

Etymology

From sharpen + -er.

This word in other languages

sacapuntas(Español)affûteuse(Français)Spitzer(Deutsch)apontador(Português)

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 "sharpener"?
"sharpener" is spelled S-H-A-R-P-E-N-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʃɑː(ɹ)pənə(ɹ)/.
What does "sharpener" mean?
As a noun, "sharpener" means: A device for making things sharp.
How do you pronounce "sharpener"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sharpener" is /ˈʃɑː(ɹ)pənə(ɹ)/. 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 "sharpener"?
From sharpen + -er. 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 “sharpener”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-H-A-R-P-E-N-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈʃɑː(ɹ)pənə(ɹ)/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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