smallholding

/ˈsmɔlˌ(h)oʊldɪŋ/

//ˈsmɔlˌ(h)oʊldɪŋ// noun

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

The verdict

“smallholding” is uncommon English (frequency #98,729 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#98,729
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - A small farm.

Corpus desk

Index EN-smallholding · smallholding · English

smallholding · rank #98,729 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #98,729
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH slunk

Nearest frequency peer: slunk (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “smallholding”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “smallholding” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026
Key facts for smallholding
PropertyValue
Headwordsmallholding
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsmɔlˌ(h)oʊldɪŋ/
Letters12
Frequency rank#98,729
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “smallholding” 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). smallholding 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

smallholding is uncommon English at frequency #98,729 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsmɔlˌ(h)oʊldɪŋ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

smallholding has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From small + holding. The correct English form is smallholding, spelled S-M-A-L-L-H-O-L-D-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small farm.
  2. 2
    The owning of such a farm.
  3. 3
    A small plantation or land with a small number of slaves (generally 19 or less).

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. […] the larger plantations implemented different crop choices, surveillance strategies, and labor management practices than did smallholdings.

Etymology

From small + holding.

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "smallholding"?
"smallholding" is spelled S-M-A-L-L-H-O-L-D-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsmɔlˌ(h)oʊldɪŋ/.
What does "smallholding" mean?
As a noun, "smallholding" means: A small farm.
How do you pronounce "smallholding"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "smallholding" is /ˈsmɔlˌ(h)oʊldɪŋ/. 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 "smallholding"?
From small + holding. 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 "smallholding", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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