shekel

/ˈʃɛkəl/

//ˈʃɛkəl// noun

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

"shekel" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“shekel” is uncommon English (frequency #74,499 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#74,499
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A currency unit of both ancient and modern Israel.

Key facts for shekel
PropertyValue
Headwordshekel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʃɛkəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#74,499
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “shekel” 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). shekel 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

shekel is uncommon English at frequency #74,499 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈʃɛkəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

shekel doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Hebrew שֶׁקֶל (shékel, “shekel”), from שָׁקַל (shakál, “to weigh”), from Akkadian 𒂅 (šiqlum). The correct English form is shekel, spelled S-H-E-K-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A currency unit of both ancient and modern Israel.
  2. 2
    Money.
  3. 3
    An ancient unit of weight equivalent to one-fiftieth of a mina.

Etymology

From Hebrew שֶׁקֶל (shékel, “shekel”), from שָׁקַל (shakál, “to weigh”), from Akkadian 𒂅 (šiqlum).

This word in other languages

siclo(Español)shekel(Français)Schekel(Deutsch)siclo(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 "shekel"?
"shekel" is spelled S-H-E-K-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʃɛkəl/.
What does "shekel" mean?
As a noun, "shekel" means: A currency unit of both ancient and modern Israel.
How do you pronounce "shekel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "shekel" is /ˈʃɛkəl/. 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 "shekel"?
From Hebrew שֶׁקֶל (shékel, “shekel”), from שָׁקַל (shakál, “to weigh”), from Akkadian 𒂅 (šiqlum). 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 “shekel”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-H-E-K-E-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈʃɛkəl/ (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