utensil

/juˈtɛn.səl/

//juˈtɛn.səl// noun

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

"utensil" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“utensil” is uncommon English (frequency #52,078 among 1,433 “U” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,078
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An instrument or device for domestic use, especially in the kitchen.

Corpus desk

Index EN-utensil · utensil · English

utensil · rank #52,078 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,078
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH urologist

Nearest frequency peer: urologist (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “utensil”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “utensil” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for utensil
PropertyValue
Headwordutensil
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/juˈtɛn.səl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#52,078
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “utensil” in English

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “urologist” (#52,077), “unwed” (#52,076), “unsullied” (#52,075). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “utensil” is #52,078. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

utensil is uncommon English at frequency #52,078 among 1,433 “U” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /juˈtɛn.səl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for utensil in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English utensyl, from Old French utensile, from Latin ūtēnsilis (“useful, usable”). The correct English form is utensil, spelled U-T-E-N-S-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    An instrument or device for domestic use, especially in the kitchen.
  2. 2
    A useful small tool, implement, or vessel.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We have convenient storage for all the kitchen/eating utensils.
  2. He stocked up on old-style writing utensils.

Etymology

From Middle English utensyl, from Old French utensile, from Latin ūtēnsilis (“useful, usable”).

This word in other languages

utensilio(Español)ustensile(Français)Gerät(Deutsch)utensílio(Português)

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 "utensil"?
"utensil" is spelled U-T-E-N-S-I-L. The IPA pronunciation is /juˈtɛn.səl/.
What does "utensil" mean?
As a noun, "utensil" means: An instrument or device for domestic use, especially in the kitchen.
How do you pronounce "utensil"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "utensil" is /juˈtɛn.səl/. 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 "utensil"?
From Middle English utensyl, from Old French utensile, from Latin ūtēnsilis (“useful, usable”). 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 "utensil", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

uncouth#52,067turnoff#52,065washout#52,095Tripura#52,058

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list