watchword

/ˈwɒt͡ʃwɜː(ɹ)d/

//ˈwɒt͡ʃwɜː(ɹ)d// noun

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

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

The verdict

“watchword” is uncommon English (frequency #74,644 among 1,759 “W” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#74,644
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A word used as a motto, as expressive of a principle, belief, or rule of action; a rallying cry.

Corpus desk

Index EN-watchword · watchword · English

watchword · rank #74,644 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #74,644
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH wasson

Nearest frequency peer: wasson (-3 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 “watchword”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for watchword
PropertyValue
Headwordwatchword
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈwɒt͡ʃwɜː(ɹ)d/
Letters9
Frequency rank#74,644
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “watchword” 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).watchwordfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “wasson” (#74,641), “Weatherby” (#74,647), “Washingtonian” (#74,640). Among 1,759 “W” headwords, “watchword” is #74,644. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

watchword is uncommon English at frequency #74,644 among 1,759 “W” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈwɒt͡ʃwɜː(ɹ)d/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

watchword has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English wacche word, wacchworde, morphologically as watch (“guard, sentinel, sentry”) + word. The correct English form is watchword, spelled W-A-T-C-H-W-O-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A word used as a motto, as expressive of a principle, belief, or rule of action; a rallying cry.
  2. 2
    A prearranged reply to the challenge of a sentry or a guard; a password or signal by which friends can be known from enemies.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. "How this perpetual gaiety," exclaimed Louis, "jars upon the ear! Good Heaven! is farewell to be said so gladly? I sometimes start when I think upon the hollowness of all that surrounds me. I often wish my eye had the power of searching the inmost depths of the bosoms whose watchword is my name."
  2. For-ward! be our watchword, Steps and voices joined; / Seek the things before us, Not a look behind.

Etymology

From Middle English wacche word, wacchworde, morphologically as watch (“guard, sentinel, sentry”) + word.

This word in other languages

lema(Español)mot d'ordre(Français)Motto(Deutsch)

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 "watchword"?
"watchword" is spelled W-A-T-C-H-W-O-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɒt͡ʃwɜː(ɹ)d/.
What does "watchword" mean?
As a noun, "watchword" means: A word used as a motto, as expressive of a principle, belief, or rule of action; a rallying cry.
How do you pronounce "watchword"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "watchword" is /ˈwɒt͡ʃwɜː(ɹ)d/. 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 "watchword"?
From Middle English wacche word, wacchworde, morphologically as watch (“guard, sentinel, sentry”) + word. 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 "watchword", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Weatherby#74,647Weybridge#74,653ventrally#74,628unlikable#74,618

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list