outline

[aʊtlaɪn]

/[aʊtlaɪn]/ noun

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency German
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Kontur, Umriss

Corpus desk

Index DE-outline · outline · German

outline · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "O" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for outline
PropertyValue
Headwordoutline
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[aʊtlaɪn]
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „outline“ im Deutschen

outlinesitzt jenseits der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Formen, im Schwanz spezialisierten oder seltenen Wortschatzes.

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

Rare enough to double-check

outline is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed [aʊtlaɪn]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for outline, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is outline, spelled O-U-T-L-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Kontur, Umriss
  2. 2
    Abriss, Gliederung, Grundriss
  3. 3
    Silhouette

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. „An outline is a line that is drawn around elements (outside the borders) to make the element "stand out". The outline shorthand property sets all the outline properties in one declaration.“

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 "outline"?
"outline" is spelled O-U-T-L-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is [aʊtlaɪn].
What does "outline" mean?
As a noun, "outline" means: Kontur, Umriss
How do you pronounce "outline"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "outline" is [aʊtlaɪn]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "outline" come from?
"outline" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list