windowsill

/ˈwɪndəʊˌsɪl/

//ˈwɪndəʊˌsɪl// noun

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

"windowsill" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“windowsill” is uncommon English (frequency #52,722 among 12,113 “W” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,722
frequency rank, English
12,113
“W” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The horizontal member protruding from the base of a window frame.

Key facts for windowsill
PropertyValue
Headwordwindowsill
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈwɪndəʊˌsɪl/
Letters10
Frequency rank#52,722
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “windowsill” 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). windowsill lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

windowsill is uncommon English at frequency #52,722 among 12,113 “W” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈwɪndəʊˌsɪl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The horizontal member protruding from the base of a window frame.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for windowsill in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From window + sill. The correct English form is windowsill, spelled W-I-N-D-O-W-S-I-L-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    The horizontal member protruding from the base of a window frame.

Etymology

From window + sill.

This word in other languages

antepecho(Español)appui de fenêtre(Français)Fensterbank(Deutsch)parapeito(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 "windowsill"?
"windowsill" is spelled W-I-N-D-O-W-S-I-L-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɪndəʊˌsɪl/.
What does "windowsill" mean?
As a noun, "windowsill" means: The horizontal member protruding from the base of a window frame.
How do you pronounce "windowsill"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "windowsill" is /ˈwɪndəʊˌsɪl/. 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 "windowsill"?
From window + sill. 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 “windowsill”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-I-N-D-O-W-S-I-L-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwɪndəʊˌsɪl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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