# shoulder

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈʃəʊldə/ · frequency rank #3,025

## Definitions
1. The part of an animal's body between the base of the neck and arm socket.
2. The part of an animal's body between the base of the neck and arm socket.
3. The part of an animal's body between the base of the neck and arm socket.
4. The part of an animal's body between the base of the neck and arm socket.
5. Anything forming a shape resembling a human shoulder.
6. A shelf between two levels.
7. A shelf between two levels.
8. A shelf between two levels.
9. A shelf between two levels.
10. A shelf between two levels.
11. The flat portion of type that is below the bevelled portion that joins up with the face.
12. The portion between the neck and the body.
13. The portion between the neck and the body.
14. The portion between the neck and the body.
15. That which supports or sustains; support.
16. The part of a key between the cuts and the bow.
17. The part of a wave that has not yet broken.
18. A season or a time of day when there is relatively little air traffic.

## Etymology
From Middle English schuldre, sholder, shulder, schulder, from Old English sculdra, sculdor (“shoulder”), from Proto-West Germanic *skuldru (“shoulder”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps related to Proto-Germanic *skelduz (“shield”), see shield. Cognate with Old Frisian skuldere (“shoulder”) (West Frisian skouder (“shoulder”)), Middle Low German scholder (“shoulder”), Low German Schuller, Schulder (“shoulder”), Dutch schouder (“shoulder”), German Schulter (“shoulder”).

## Easily confused with
- **solder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shoulder-vs-solder)
- **shudder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shoulder-vs-shudder)
- **shoulders** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shoulder-vs-shoulders)
- **shouldered** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shoulder-vs-shouldered)
- **should** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/should-vs-shoulder)
- **shoulda** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shoulda-vs-shoulder)

## Common misspellings (12)
`hsoulder`, `shhoulder`, `sholuder`, `shoudler`, `shouldder`, `shoulderr`, `shouldre`, `shouledr`, `shoullder`, `shuolder`, `sohulder`, `sshoulder`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/shoulder