bottom line

noun

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

"bottom-line" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bottom line” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The final balance; the amount of money or profit left after everything has been tallied.

Key facts for bottom line
PropertyValue
Headwordbottom line
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bottom line” sits in English frequency

bottom line 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 bottom line is 11 letters long, classified as a noun. 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.

Zero misspellings are on record for bottom line in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: A reference to the literal bottom line of an income statement or other accounting record. The correct English form is bottom line, spelled B-O-T-T-O-M- -L-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The final balance; the amount of money or profit left after everything has been tallied.
  2. 2
    The summary or result; the most important information.
  3. 3
    A minimum acceptable result from a negotiation.

Etymology

A reference to the literal bottom line of an income statement or other accounting record.

This word in other languages

crematística(Español)résultat net(Français)Endergebnis(Deutsch)saldo(Português)

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 "bottom line"?
"bottom line" is spelled B-O-T-T-O-M- -L-I-N-E.
What does "bottom line" mean?
As a noun, "bottom line" means: The final balance; the amount of money or profit left after everything has been tallied.
What is the origin of the word "bottom line"?
A reference to the literal bottom line of an income statement or other accounting record. 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 “bottom line”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-O-T-T-O-M- -L-I-N-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