across the board
"across-the-board" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“across the board” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a prep_phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 16
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Pertaining to all categories or things.
Corpus desk
Index EN-across-the-board · across the board · English
across the board · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 16 letters
- VOW-5 5 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "A" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | across the board |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Prep_phrase |
| Letters | 16 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “across the board” in English
Rare enough to double-check
across the board is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aprep_phrase. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
No misspelling variants are generated for across the board in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: Originated with horse racing, where an "across the board" bet was one which covered first, second and third on the betting board. The correct English form is across the board, spelled A-C-R-O-S-S- -T-H-E- -B-O-A-R-D.
Definition
- 1Pertaining to all categories or things.
- 2Having an equal amount staked on a competitor placing first, second, or third.
- 3Of a move or sequence of play, made in response to developments occurring in the game, as opposed to pre-planned or according to theory.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how across the board appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
[…]in favor of a straight across-the-board salary increase[…]
A common technique (variously known as an emergency brake or meat axe budgeting) used by governments is across-the-board cuts;
Etymology
Originated with horse racing, where an "across the board" bet was one which covered first, second and third on the betting board.
This word in other languages
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.