countdown

Name: countdown, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈkaʊntˌdaʊn/

//ˈkaʊntˌdaʊn// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“countdown” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,525. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,525
frequency rank, English: 43,570
“C” headwords: 14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A count backward in fixed units to the time of some event, especially the launch of a space vehicle.

Corpus desk

Index EN-countdown · countdown · English

countdown · rank #11,525 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

FREQ-MID #11,525
LEN-LONG 9 letters
VOW-3 3 vowels
CONFUS-0 No pairs
VAR-HIGH 14 variants
BOOK-DENSE 43,570
PHOTO-FINISH copying

Nearest frequency peer: copying (-1 rank slots)

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.

consortium

88,479
controllers

88,478
copying

88,477
countdown

88,476
courier

88,475
danced

88,474

What this shows Bars show where “countdown” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Key facts for countdown
Property	Value
Headword	countdown
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈkaʊntˌdaʊn/
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#11,525
Misspellings tracked	14
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “countdown” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). countdown lands here:

#11,525

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around countdown (IPA /ˈkaʊntˌdaʊn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,525 among 43,570 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for countdown, with forms such as "ccountdown", "conutdown", and "coundtown". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From count + down. The correct English form is countdown, spelled C-O-U-N-T-D-O-W-N.

Definition

1
A count backward in fixed units to the time of some event, especially the launch of a space vehicle.
2
The acts of preparation carried out during this period.
3
A radio or television program counting down the top songs of a given week, usually in reverse order and ending with the number one song.

Etymology

From count + down.

This word in other languages

compte à rebours(Français)Countdown(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

ccountdown
conutdown
coundtown
counntdown
countddown
countdonw
countdownn
countdowwn
countdwon
countodwn
counttdown
coutndown
cuontdown
ocuntdown

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of countdown - 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.

Edit distance from "countdown"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "countdown"?

"countdown" is spelled C-O-U-N-T-D-O-W-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkaʊntˌdaʊn/.

What does "countdown" mean?

As a noun, "countdown" means: A count backward in fixed units to the time of some event, especially the launch of a space vehicle.

What are common misspellings of "countdown"?

Common misspellings include "ccountdown", "conutdown", "coundtown", "counntdown", "countddown". The correct spelling is "countdown".

How do you pronounce "countdown"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "countdown" is /ˈkaʊntˌdaʊn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What is the origin of the word "countdown"?

From count + down. See the full etymology section above for more details.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "countdown", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

exclusion#11,541 extracted#11,544 freelance#11,548 honeymoon#11,556

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

exaggerated14 variants protector14 variants skeptical14 variants preaching14 variants

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.