Shawshank

Name: Shawshank, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

verb

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed September 3, 2026

The verdict

“Shawshank” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #45,082. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#45,082
frequency rank, English: 6,566
“S” headwords: 15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To escape, especially by tunneling out or without warning.

Corpus desk

Index EN-shawshank · Shawshank · English

Shawshank · rank #45,082 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

FREQ-MID #45,082
LEN-LONG 9 letters
VOW-2 2 vowels
CONFUS-0 No pairs
VAR-HIGH 15 variants
BOOK-DENSE 6,566
PHOTO-FINISH shallows

Nearest frequency peer: shallows (-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.

serine

54,923
Shaheen

54,921
shallows

54,920
Shawshank

54,919
showrunner

54,917
Simcoe

54,915

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

Key facts for Shawshank
Property	Value
Headword	Shawshank
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#45,082
Misspellings tracked	15
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “Shawshank”

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

#45,082

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “shallows” (#45,081), “Shaheen” (#45,080), “showrunner” (#45,084). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “Shawshank” is #45,082. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around Shawshank, averb. Corpus frequency is #45,082 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for Shawshank, with forms such as "hsawshank", "sahwshank", and "shaswhank". 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. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: A reference to the 1982 novel Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King and its 1994 film adaptation The Shawshank Redemption. The correct English form is Shawshank, spelled S-H-A-W-S-H-A-N-K.

Definition

1
To escape, especially by tunneling out or without warning.
2
To punish (someone) for something that they did not do.
3
To accomplish something by doing a little bit at a time over a long period of time.
4
To rape (a man, by a man) as an act of dominance and bullying.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

After endless Shawshanking through the ducts, I came to a grate that offered my first break from the horror show.
Kid up and disappears, Shawshanks like a fart in the wind.

Etymology

A reference to the 1982 novel Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King and its 1994 film adaptation The Shawshank Redemption.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

hsawshank
sahwshank
shaswhank
shawhsank
shawsahnk
shawshakn
shawshankk
shawshannk
shawshhank
shawshnak
shawsshank
shawwshank
shhawshank
shwashank
sshawshank

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Shawshank - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "Shawshank"

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 "Shawshank"?

"Shawshank" is spelled S-H-A-W-S-H-A-N-K.

What does "Shawshank" mean?

As a verb, "Shawshank" means: To escape, especially by tunneling out or without warning.

What are common misspellings of "Shawshank"?

Common misspellings include "hsawshank", "sahwshank", "shaswhank", "shawhsank", "shawsahnk". The correct spelling is "Shawshank".

What is the origin of the word "Shawshank"?

A reference to the 1982 novel Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King and its 1994 film adaptation The Shawshank Redemption. 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 "Shawshank", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

selfishly#45,076 sacrilege#45,064 Roseville#45,057 revamping#45,050

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

sweetwater15 variants reparation15 variants unabridged15 variants unbearably15 variants