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watershed

wa·ter·shed/ˈwɔtɚʃɛd/noun, adjective

watershed is spelled W-A-T-E-R-S-H-E-D: 9 letters and 3 syllables (wa·ter·shed). It appears 3.4 times per million words in written English, the 14,307th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, watershed means “The topographical boundary dividing two adjacent catchment basins, such as a ridge or a crest” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of watershed is watersheds.

How many letters and syllables are in watershed?

Letters9: W-A-T-E-R-S-H-E-D
Syllables3: wa·ter·shed
In writing3.4 times per million words; the 14,307th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone 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 watershed?

Watershed appears 3.4 times per million words in written English, the 14,307th 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 watershed?

  • UK /ˈwɔːtəʃɛd/
  • US /ˈwɔtɚʃɛd/

Watershed has 3 syllables, split wa·ter·shed in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-watershed.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with watershed

Also written: water-shed (one word or two).

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

Forms of watershed

  • watersheds plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does watershed mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    AustraliaIrelandUKThe topographical boundary dividing two adjacent catchment basins, such as a ridge or a crest.

  2. 2

    CanadaUSA region of land within which water flows down into a specified body, such as a river, lake, sea, or ocean; a drainage basin.

  3. 3

    A critical point marking a change in course or development.

    watershed moment – watershed event – watershed ruling

  4. 4

    CanadaUKThe time of day after which material of a more adult nature (e.g., violence, swear words, or nudity) may be broadcast on television or radio, either one permitted by law or one contrived from convention (e.g. when children are not watching).

adjective

  1. 1

    Serving to mark a significant development, change in direction, etc.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Watershed in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchligne de partage des eaux (boundary between adjacent catchment basins), tournant décisif (critical point marking a change in course or…)
GermanWasserscheide (boundary between adjacent catchment basins), Wendepunkt, Zeitenwende (critical point marking a change in course or…)
Portuguesedivisor de águas (boundary between adjacent catchment basins), divisor de água (critical point marking a change in course or…)
Spanishlínea divisoria, parteaguas (boundary between adjacent catchment basins), momento decisivo, punto crucial, momento clave (critical point marking a change in course or…)

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 watershed come from?

From water + shed. A calque of German Wasserscheide.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after watershed