counterweigh

/kaʊntəˈweɪ/

//kaʊntəˈweɪ// verb

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

"counterweigh" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To act as counterbalance (against something).

Key facts for counterweigh
PropertyValue
Headwordcounterweigh
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/kaʊntəˈweɪ/
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “counterweigh” sits in English frequency

counterweigh 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.

Rare enough to double-check

counterweigh is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /kaʊntəˈweɪ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

counterweigh has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From counter- + weigh, under the influence Anglo-Norman contrepeser (“to counterpoise”). The correct English form is counterweigh, spelled C-O-U-N-T-E-R-W-E-I-G-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To act as counterbalance (against something).
  2. 2
    To counterbalance; to balance out.

Etymology

From counter- + weigh, under the influence Anglo-Norman contrepeser (“to counterpoise”).

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 "counterweigh"?
"counterweigh" is spelled C-O-U-N-T-E-R-W-E-I-G-H. The IPA pronunciation is /kaʊntəˈweɪ/.
What does "counterweigh" mean?
As a verb, "counterweigh" means: To act as counterbalance (against something).
How do you pronounce "counterweigh"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "counterweigh" is /kaʊntəˈweɪ/. 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 "counterweigh"?
From counter- + weigh, under the influence Anglo-Norman contrepeser (“to counterpoise”). 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.

Using “counterweigh”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-U-N-T-E-R-W-E-I-G-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /kaʊntəˈweɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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