sledgehammer

/ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmə/

//ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmə// noun

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

"sledgehammer" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sledgehammer” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,764. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,764
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A hammer that consists of a large, heavy, broad and flat block of metal (the head) attached to a handle typically 0.5 meter to 1 meter long. The sledgehammer's design is meant to allow it to be swu...

Corpus desk

Index EN-sledgehammer · sledgehammer · English

sledgehammer · rank #31,764 · 17 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #31,764
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Sigmund

Nearest frequency peer: Sigmund (-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 “sledgehammer”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “sledgehammer” 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
Key facts for sledgehammer
PropertyValue
Headwordsledgehammer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmə/
Letters12
Frequency rank#31,764
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “sledgehammer”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Sigmund” (#31,763), “sleeved” (#31,765), “shoal” (#31,762). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “sledgehammer” is #31,764. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around sledgehammer (IPA /ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #31,764 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A hammer that consists of a large, heavy, broad and flat block of metal (the head) attached to a handle typically 0.5 meter to 1 meter long. The sledgehammer's design is meant to allow it to be swu...".

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for sledgehammer, with forms such as "lsedgehammer", "seldgehammer", and "sldegehammer". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Compound of sledge + hammer. The correct English form is sledgehammer, spelled S-L-E-D-G-E-H-A-M-M-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A hammer that consists of a large, heavy, broad and flat block of metal (the head) attached to a handle typically 0.5 meter to 1 meter long. The sledgehammer's design is meant to allow it to be swung powerfully, and to distribute force over a wide area upon impact.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. These were succeeded by anchor and chain-cable forges, where sledgehammers were dinging upon iron all day long.

Etymology

Compound of sledge + hammer.

This word in other languages

almádena(Español)masse(Français)Vorschlaghammer(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • lsedgehammer
  • seldgehammer
  • sldegehammer
  • sleddgehammer
  • sledeghammer
  • sledgeahmmer
  • sledgehamemr
  • sledgehamer
  • sledgehammerr
  • sledgehammre
  • sledgehhammer
  • sledgehmamer
  • sledggehammer
  • sledgheammer
  • slegdehammer
  • slledgehammer
  • ssledgehammer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sledgehammer - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

lsedgehammer2seldgehammer2sldegehammer2sleddgehammer1sledeghammer2sledgeahmmer2sledgehamemr2sledgehamer1
Edit distance from "sledgehammer"

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 "sledgehammer"?
"sledgehammer" is spelled S-L-E-D-G-E-H-A-M-M-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmə/.
What does "sledgehammer" mean?
As a noun, "sledgehammer" means: A hammer that consists of a large, heavy, broad and flat block of metal (the head) attached to a handle typically 0.5 meter to 1 meter long. The sledgehammer's design is meant to allow it to be swu...
What are common misspellings of "sledgehammer"?
Common misspellings include "lsedgehammer", "seldgehammer", "sldegehammer", "sleddgehammer", "sledeghammer". The correct spelling is "sledgehammer".
How do you pronounce "sledgehammer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sledgehammer" is /ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmə/. 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 "sledgehammer"?
Compound of sledge + hammer. 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 "sledgehammer", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

subcontinent#31,782naturalistic#31,673artistically#31,859multitasking#31,664

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

ventricular17 variantsvindication17 variantspainstaking17 variantschurchyard17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list