at the same time

prep_phrase

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

"at-the-same-time" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“at the same time” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a prep_phrase - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
16
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - At the same instant.

Key facts for at the same time
PropertyValue
Headwordat the same time
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPrep_phrase
Letters16
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “at the same time” sits in English frequency

at the same time 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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for at the same time is 16 letters long, classified as a prep_phrase. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for at the same time, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is at the same time, spelled A-T- -T-H-E- -S-A-M-E- -T-I-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    At the same instant.
  2. 2
    Overlapping or coinciding in duration.
  3. 3
    On the other hand (introducing an opposing viewpoint).

This word in other languages

a la vez(Español)dans le même temps(Français)gleichzeitig(Deutsch)

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 the same time"?
"at the same time" is spelled A-T- -T-H-E- -S-A-M-E- -T-I-M-E.
What does "at the same time" mean?
As a prep_phrase, "at the same time" means: At the same instant.
What language does "at the same time" come from?
"at the same time" 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.

Using “at the same time”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-T- -T-H-E- -S-A-M-E- -T-I-M-E - 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