sledgehammer
sledge·ham·mer/ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmɚ/noun, verb, adjective
sledgehammer is spelled S-L-E-D-G-E-H-A-M-M-E-R: 12 letters and 3 syllables (sledge·ham·mer). It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,549th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). 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…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of sledgehammer is sledgehammers.
How many letters and syllables are in sledgehammer?
| Letters | 12: S-L-E-D-G-E-H-A-M-M-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: sledge·ham·mer |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 31,549th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is sledgehammer?
Sledgehammer appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,549th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce sledgehammer?
- UK /ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmə/
- US /ˈslɛd͡ʒhæmɚ/
Sledgehammer has 3 syllables, split sledge·ham·mer in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-sledgehammer.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with sledgehammer
Also written: sledge hammer (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of sledgehammer
- sledgehammers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- sledge-hammer
- sledgehammering participle, present
- sledgehammered participle, past
- more sledgehammer comparative
- most sledgehammer superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does sledgehammer mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 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.
verb
- 1
To strike (something) with a sledgehammer.
adjective
- 1
Completely lacking grace and dexterity.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Sledgehammer in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense kind of hammer:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | marteau de forgeron, masse, marteau |
| German | Vorschlaghammer |
| Portuguese | marreta |
| Spanish | almádena, mandarria, comba |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does sledgehammer come from?
Compound of sledge + hammer.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).