call out

verb

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

"call-out" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“call out” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To specify, especially in detail.

Key facts for call out
PropertyValue
Headwordcall out
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “call out” sits in English frequency

call out 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 call out is 8 letters long, classified as a verb. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for call out in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct English form is call out, spelled C-A-L-L- -O-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To specify, especially in detail.
  2. 2
    To order into service; to summon into service.
  3. 3
    To yell out; to vocalize audibly; announce.
  4. 4
    To challenge (someone).
  5. 5
    To challenge (someone).
  6. 6
    To challenge (someone).
  7. 7
    To contact one's workplace and announce that one is unable to attend work. Regionalism short for call out sick; much more commonly: call in sick.

This word in other languages

especificar(Español)préciser(Français)angehen(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 "call out"?
"call out" is spelled C-A-L-L- -O-U-T.
What does "call out" mean?
As a verb, "call out" means: To specify, especially in detail.
What language does "call out" come from?
"call out" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “call out”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-A-L-L- -O-U-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