wingnut

/ˈwɪŋˌnʌt/

//ˈwɪŋˌnʌt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“wingnut” is uncommon English (frequency #94,442 among 12,113 “W” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#94,442
frequency rank, English
12,113
“W” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A deciduous tree of the genus Pterocarya native to Asia.

Key facts for wingnut
PropertyValue
Headwordwingnut
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈwɪŋˌnʌt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#94,442
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wingnut” 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). wingnut 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

wingnut is uncommon English at frequency #94,442 among 12,113 “W” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈwɪŋˌnʌt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for wingnut, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From wing + nut. The political sense is a shortening of "right-wing nut". The correct English form is wingnut, spelled W-I-N-G-N-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A deciduous tree of the genus Pterocarya native to Asia.
  2. 2
    A person who is or seems odd, eccentric, or crazy; especially, someone with bizarre or extreme political views.
  3. 3
    A member of the air force (in a town that hosts a USAF installation).
  4. 4
    A person with large ears.
  5. 5
    Alternative form of wing nut (“(mechanical) nut with wing-like projections”).

Etymology

From wing + nut. The political sense is a shortening of "right-wing nut".

This word in other languages

Spinner(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 "wingnut"?
"wingnut" is spelled W-I-N-G-N-U-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɪŋˌnʌt/.
What does "wingnut" mean?
As a noun, "wingnut" means: A deciduous tree of the genus Pterocarya native to Asia.
How do you pronounce "wingnut"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wingnut" is /ˈwɪŋˌnʌt/. 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 "wingnut"?
From wing + nut. The political sense is a shortening of "right-wing nut". 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 “wingnut”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-I-N-G-N-U-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwɪŋˌnʌt/ (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