callous
/ˈkæləs/
"callous" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“callous” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,355 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.
- #26,355
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 8
- tracked misspellings
- 5
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Emotionally hardened; unfeeling and indifferent to the suffering/feelings of others.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | callous |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈkæləs/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #26,355 |
| Misspellings tracked | 8 |
| Confusable pairs | 5 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “callous” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for callous is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈkæləs/. Corpus data places it at rank #26,355 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for callous, with forms such as "acllous", "callosu", and "callouss". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "calls", "Carlos", "Callum", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin callōsus (“hard-skinned”), from callum (“hardened skin”) + -ōsus. The correct English form is callous, spelled C-A-L-L-O-U-S.
Definition
- 1Emotionally hardened; unfeeling and indifferent to the suffering/feelings of others.
- 2Having calluses, or relating to calluses.
Etymology
From Latin callōsus (“hard-skinned”), from callum (“hardened skin”) + -ōsus.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: acllous,callosu,callouss,calluos,calolus,calous,ccallous,clalous
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of callous - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "callous"?
What does "callous" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "callous"?
How do you pronounce "callous"?
What is the origin of the word "callous"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “callous”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-A-L-L-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈkæləs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “calls” - see the side-by-side comparison. callous vs calls
- 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.