wryneck

/ˈɹaɪnɛk/

//ˈɹaɪnɛk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“wryneck” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis, of the Old World, that turn their heads almost 180 degrees when foraging.

Key facts for wryneck
PropertyValue
Headwordwryneck
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹaɪnɛk/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wryneck” sits in English frequency

wryneck falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

wryneck is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɹaɪnɛk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

wryneck has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From wry + neck. The correct English form is wryneck, spelled W-R-Y-N-E-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    Either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis, of the Old World, that turn their heads almost 180 degrees when foraging.
  2. 2
    A twisted or distorted neck; a deformity in which the neck is drawn to one side by a rigid contraction of one of the muscles.

Etymology

From wry + neck.

Synonyms

mackerel bird

This word in other languages

torcol(Français)Wendehals(Deutsch)torcicolo(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "wryneck"?
"wryneck" is spelled W-R-Y-N-E-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹaɪnɛk/.
What does "wryneck" mean?
As a noun, "wryneck" means: Either of two small woodpeckers, Jynx torquilla and Jynx ruficollis, of the Old World, that turn their heads almost 180 degrees when foraging.
How do you pronounce "wryneck"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wryneck" is /ˈɹaɪnɛk/. 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 "wryneck"?
From wry + neck. 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 “wryneck”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-R-Y-N-E-C-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɹaɪnɛk/ (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
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list