check out

verb

"check-out" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“check out” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).

Corpus desk

Index EN-check-out · check out · English

check out · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "C" 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.

Key facts for check out
PropertyValue
Headwordcheck out
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “check out” in English

check outranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

check out is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 10 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for check out, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct English form is check out, spelled C-H-E-C-K- -O-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
  2. 2
    To record one's departure from a workplace, hotel, restaurant, etc.
  3. 3
    To examine, inspect, look at closely, ogle; to investigate; to gather information so as to make a decision.
  4. 4
    To obtain source code (or other material) from a source control repository so that one can modify it (and often later check in the modified version back).
  5. 5
    To become uninterested in an activity and cease to participate in more than a perfunctory manner; to become uncooperative.
  6. 6
    To become catatonic or otherwise nonresponsive.
  7. 7
    To leave in a hurry.
  8. 8
    To die.
  9. 9
    To prove (after an investigation) to be the case, or to be in order.
  10. 10
    To visit the oche for the last time and clear one's remaining points to win the game.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how check out appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. He checked his favorite mystery out for the twenty-third time.
  2. The desk clerk checked out the family that had been staying in room 322.

Antonyms

This word in other languages

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 "check out"?
"check out" is spelled C-H-E-C-K- -O-U-T.
What does "check out" mean?
As a verb, "check out" means: To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
What language does "check out" come from?
"check 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list