by a long chalk
/ˌbaɪ‿ə ˌlɒŋ ˈt͡ʃɔːk/
"by-a-long-chalk" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“by a long chalk” 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
- 15
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To a great extent; by far.
Corpus desk
Index EN-by-a-long-chalk · by a long chalk · English
by a long chalk · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 15 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "B" 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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | by a long chalk |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Prep_phrase |
| IPA | /ˌbaɪ‿ə ˌlɒŋ ˈt͡ʃɔːk/ |
| Letters | 15 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “by a long chalk” in English
Rare enough to double-check
by a long chalk is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aprep_phrase, transcribed /ˌbaɪ‿ə ˌlɒŋ ˈt͡ʃɔːk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To a great extent; by far.".
Zero misspellings are on record for by a long chalk in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: A reference to the practice of writing the scores of games on boards using chalk. The correct English form is by a long chalk, spelled B-Y- -A- -L-O-N-G- -C-H-A-L-K.
Definition
- 1To a great extent; by far.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how by a long chalk appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
[A]s regards the body of water discharged, the absolute payments made into the sea's exchequer, and the majesty of column riding downwards from the Himalaya, I believe that, since Sir Alexander Burnes's measurements, the Indus ranks foremost by a long chalk.
Bowring was a man of few words; he said, "Blaze away, my boy." And I tried to. But it was no use; I had got out of the style; my writing was too literary by a long chalk.
Etymology
A reference to the practice of writing the scores of games on boards using chalk.
Synonyms
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.