at length

[æʔ ˈlɛŋθ]

/[æʔ ˈlɛŋθ]/ prep_phrase

"at-length" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“at length” 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
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - For a long time; extensively.

Corpus desk

Index EN-at-length · at length · English

at length · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 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 length
PropertyValue
Headwordat length
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPrep_phrase
IPA[æʔ ˈlɛŋθ]
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “at length” in English

at lengthfalls 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 length is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aprep_phrase, transcribed [æʔ ˈlɛŋθ]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for at length in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct English form is at length, spelled A-T- -L-E-N-G-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    For a long time; extensively.
  2. 2
    At last, finally, eventually.
  3. 3
    In full; without omission or abbreviation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He went on at great/long length about his supposed qualifications.
  2. She led us through the tunnels for some time, until at length we reached a small door in the rock.

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 length"?
"at length" is spelled A-T- -L-E-N-G-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is [æʔ ˈlɛŋθ].
What does "at length" mean?
As a prep_phrase, "at length" means: For a long time; extensively.
How do you pronounce "at length"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "at length" is [æʔ ˈlɛŋθ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "at length" come from?
"at length" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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