aloof

/əˈluːf/

//əˈluːf// adv

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

"aloof" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“aloof” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,158. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,158
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - At or from a distance, but within view, or at a small distance; apart; away.

Corpus desk

Index EN-aloof · aloof · English

aloof · rank #29,158 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #29,158
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH alluding

Nearest frequency peer: alluding (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “aloof”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “aloof” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

aloof vs also
60% similar
aloof vs alot
60% similar
aloof vs alto
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for aloof
PropertyValue
Headwordaloof
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/əˈluːf/
Letters5
Frequency rank#29,158
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “aloof”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).alooflands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “alluding” (#29,157), “amulet” (#29,159), “agonizing” (#29,155). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “aloof” is #29,158. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around aloof (IPA /əˈluːf/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #29,158 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for aloof, with forms such as "alloof", "alof", and "alofo". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "also", "alot", "alto", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English loof (“weather gage, windward direction”), probably from Middle Dutch (Compare Dutch loef (“the weather side of a ship”)), originally a nautical order to keep the ship's head to the wind, thus to stay clear of a lee-shore or some other q… The correct English form is aloof, spelled A-L-O-O-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    At or from a distance, but within view, or at a small distance; apart; away.
  2. 2
    Without sympathy; unfavorably.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Sisyphus also I saw, with unwelcomest taskage tormented, / Toilsomely hoisting aloof, unassisted, a ponderous round stone.
  2. The noise approaches, tho' our palace stood Aloof from streets, encompass'd with a wood

Etymology

From Middle English loof (“weather gage, windward direction”), probably from Middle Dutch (Compare Dutch loef (“the weather side of a ship”)), originally a nautical order to keep the ship's head to the wind, thus to stay clear of a lee-shore or some other quarter, hence the figurative sense of "at a distance, apart".

This word in other languages

apartado(Español)à l'écart(Français)distanziert(Deutsch)à distância(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • alloof
  • alof
  • alofo
  • alooff
  • aolof
  • laoof

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of aloof - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

alloof1alof1alofo2alooff1aolof2laoof2
Edit distance from "aloof"

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 "aloof"?
"aloof" is spelled A-L-O-O-F. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈluːf/.
What does "aloof" mean?
As an adverb, "aloof" means: At or from a distance, but within view, or at a small distance; apart; away.
What words are commonly confused with "aloof"?
"aloof" is commonly confused with "also", "alot", "alto". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "aloof"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "aloof" is /əˈluːf/. 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 "aloof"?
From Middle English loof (“weather gage, windward direction”), probably from Middle Dutch (Compare Dutch loef (“the weather side of a ship”)), originally a nautical order to keep the ship's head to the wind, thus to stay clear of a lee-shore or so... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "aloof", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

aback#29,152Wynne#29,149Tunis#29,133tenet#29,121

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

yank6 variantsarty6 variantsTania6 variantscask6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list