sprinkler

/ˈspɹiŋklɚ/

//ˈspɹiŋklɚ// noun

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

"sprinkler" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sprinkler” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,294 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#27,294
frequency rank, English
9
letters
15
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Anything that sprinkles.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

sprinkler vs sprinter
78% similar
sprinkler vs sprinkles
89% similar
sprinkler vs springer
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for sprinkler
PropertyValue
Headwordsprinkler
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈspɹiŋklɚ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#27,294
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sprinkler” 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). sprinkler lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for sprinkler is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈspɹiŋklɚ/. Corpus data places it at rank #27,294 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for sprinkler, with forms such as "psrinkler", "spirnkler", and "spprinkler". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "sprinter", "sprinkles", "springer", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From sprinkle + -er. The correct English form is sprinkler, spelled S-P-R-I-N-K-L-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Anything that sprinkles.
  2. 2
    An irrigation device that sprays water into the air whilst moving back and forth.
  3. 3
    A heat-activated device that sprays water in the event of a fire, usually mounted on a ceiling.
  4. 4
    A dance move in which the dancer places one hand on the head behind the ear, with elbow bent, stretches the other arm forwards and mimics the motions of an irrigation sprinkler with a rotary head.

Etymology

From sprinkle + -er.

This word in other languages

aspersor(Español)arroseur(Français)Sprinkler(Deutsch)aspersor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: psrinkler,spirnkler,spprinkler,spriknler,sprinkelr,sprinkkler,sprinklerr,sprinkller,sprinklre,sprinlker,sprinnkler,sprnikler,sprrinkler,srpinkler,ssprinkler

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sprinkler - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

psrinkler2spirnkler2spprinkler1spriknler2sprinkelr2sprinkkler1sprinklerr1sprinkller1
Edit distance from "sprinkler"

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 "sprinkler"?
"sprinkler" is spelled S-P-R-I-N-K-L-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈspɹiŋklɚ/.
What does "sprinkler" mean?
As a noun, "sprinkler" means: Anything that sprinkles.
What words are commonly confused with "sprinkler"?
"sprinkler" is commonly confused with "sprinter", "sprinkles", "springer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sprinkler"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sprinkler" is /ˈspɹiŋklɚ/. 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 "sprinkler"?
From sprinkle + -er. 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 “sprinkler”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-P-R-I-N-K-L-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈspɹiŋklɚ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “sprinter” - see the side-by-side comparison. sprinkler vs sprinter
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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