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 May 6, 2026) - At a minimum or lower limit.

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

Where “at least” sits in English frequency

at least 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

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.

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.

Using “at least”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-T- -L-E-A-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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