copyleft
"copyleft" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“copyleft” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The philosophy of using copyrights to enforce freedom of information, especially software source code.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | copyleft |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “copyleft” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
copyleft is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
copyleft doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: A pun on copyright, which refers to using copyright laws for purposes that are in some ways contrary to copyright's original intent. The correct English form is copyleft, spelled C-O-P-Y-L-E-F-T.
Definition
- 1The philosophy of using copyrights to enforce freedom of information, especially software source code.
- 2A software license that follows this philosophy.
Etymology
A pun on copyright, which refers to using copyright laws for purposes that are in some ways contrary to copyright's original intent.
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
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Using “copyleft”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is C-O-P-Y-L-E-F-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.