winch

/wɪnt͡ʃ/

//wɪnt͡ʃ// noun

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

"winch" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“winch” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,701. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,701
frequency rank, English
1,759
“W” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A machine consisting of a drum on an axle, a friction brake or ratchet and pawl, and a crank handle or prime mover (often an electric or hydraulic motor), with or without gearing, to give increased...

Corpus desk

Index EN-winch · winch · English

winch · rank #27,701 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #27,701
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,759
  • PHOTO-FINISH Wilton

Nearest frequency peer: Wilton (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “winch”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “winch” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

winch vs with
60% similar
winch vs wish
60% similar
winch vs wind
60% similar

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

Key facts for winch
PropertyValue
Headwordwinch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/wɪnt͡ʃ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#27,701
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “winch”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Wilton” (#27,700), “Winthrop” (#27,702), “Wilfred” (#27,699). Among 1,759 “W” headwords, “winch” is #27,701. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around winch (IPA /wɪnt͡ʃ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #27,701 among 1,759 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for winch, with forms such as "iwnch", "wicnh", and "wincch". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "with", "wish", "wind", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English wynche, from Old English winċe, from Proto-Germanic *winkijǭ, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European *weng- (“to bow, bend, arch, curve”), whence also wink. The correct English form is winch, spelled W-I-N-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    A machine consisting of a drum on an axle, a friction brake or ratchet and pawl, and a crank handle or prime mover (often an electric or hydraulic motor), with or without gearing, to give increased mechanical advantage when hoisting or hauling on a rope or cable.
  2. 2
    A hoisting device used for loading or unloading cargo, or for pulling in lines.
  3. 3
    A wince (machine used in dyeing or steeping cloth).
  4. 4
    A kick, as of an animal, from impatience or uneasiness.
  5. 5
    A witch.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. It runs on clattering steel tracks; the driver sits in a cab over the tracks, operating the controls that rotate the arm and turn the winch.
  2. the mule[…]being likewise frighted by that terrible blow, ran away as fast as it could about the fields, and within two or three winches overthrew him to the ground

Etymology

From Middle English wynche, from Old English winċe, from Proto-Germanic *winkijǭ, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European *weng- (“to bow, bend, arch, curve”), whence also wink.

This word in other languages

cabrestante(Español)treuil(Français)Winde(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • iwnch
  • wicnh
  • wincch
  • winchh
  • winhc
  • winnch
  • wnich
  • wwinch

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of winch - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

iwnch2wicnh2wincch1winchh1winhc2winnch1wnich2wwinch1
Edit distance from "winch"

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 "winch"?
"winch" is spelled W-I-N-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /wɪnt͡ʃ/.
What does "winch" mean?
As a noun, "winch" means: A machine consisting of a drum on an axle, a friction brake or ratchet and pawl, and a crank handle or prime mover (often an electric or hydraulic motor), with or without gearing, to give increased...
What words are commonly confused with "winch"?
"winch" is commonly confused with "with", "wish", "wind". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "winch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "winch" is /wɪnt͡ʃ/. 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 "winch"?
From Middle English wynche, from Old English winċe, from Proto-Germanic *winkijǭ, ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European *weng- (“to bow, bend, arch, curve”), whence also wink. 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 "winch", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

amour#27,718trove#27,683Arjun#27,723banco#27,734

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

vetoed8 variantsTahiti8 variantsbiopic8 variantssmirk8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list