at least

prep_phrase

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

The verdict

“at least” 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
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - At a minimum or lower limit.

Corpus desk

Index EN-at-least · at least · English

at least · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 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.

Key facts for at least
PropertyValue
Headwordat least
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPrep_phrase
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “at least” in English

at leastsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

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

Rare enough to double-check

at least is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aprep_phrase. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for at least, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English at leste, from Old English æt lǣstan. The correct English form is at least, spelled A-T- -L-E-A-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    At a minimum or lower limit.
  2. 2
    In any event; anyway.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I couldn't count them all, but I think there must have been at least 500 people in attendance.
  2. So Martha hid herself, and in came little Bob [Cratchit], the father, with at least three feet of comforter exclusive of the fringe, hanging down before him; and his thread-bare clothes darned up and brushed, to look seasonable; and Tiny Tim upon his shoulder.

Etymology

From Middle English at leste, from Old English æt lǣstan.

Synonyms

Antonyms

at mostat the mostat the very most

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "at least"?
"at least" is spelled A-T- -L-E-A-S-T.
What does "at least" mean?
As a prep_phrase, "at least" means: At a minimum or lower limit.
What is the origin of the word "at least"?
From Middle English at leste, from Old English æt lǣstan. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list