echelon

/ˈɛʃ.ə.lɒn/

//ˈɛʃ.ə.lɒn// noun

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

"echelon" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“echelon” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,531. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,531
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A level or rank in an organization, profession, or society.

Corpus desk

Index EN-echelon · echelon · English

echelon · rank #31,531 · 10 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #31,531
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH eases

Nearest frequency peer: eases (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “echelon”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “echelon” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for echelon
PropertyValue
Headwordechelon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛʃ.ə.lɒn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#31,531
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “echelon”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).echelonlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “eases” (#31,530), “edifice” (#31,532), “dyeing” (#31,529). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “echelon” is #31,531. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around echelon (IPA /ˈɛʃ.ə.lɒn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #31,531 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for echelon, with forms such as "cehelon", "ecchelon", and "ecehlon". 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. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French échelon (“rung; echelon”), from échelle (“ladder”) + -on (diminutive suffix). Échelle is derived from Latin scāla (“ladder”), from scandō (“to ascend, climb”), from Proto-Indo-European *skend- (“to jump”). The correct English form is echelon, spelled E-C-H-E-L-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A level or rank in an organization, profession, or society.
  2. 2
    A line of riders seeking maximum drafting in a crosswind, resulting in a diagonal line across the road.
  3. 3
    A formation of troops, ships, aircraft, etc., in diagonal parallel rows.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Other important functions performed by the GP [general practitioner] are those of referring patients to other (health) care facilities and acting as contact person for other providers of aid, both for other facilities in first echelon care and with respect to second echelon care (outpatient care and treatment in hospital).
  2. Officials in China are divided into three echelons, or generations. The first echelon joined the Communist Party in the 1920s, soon after the party was founded. […] The second echelon joined the Communist Party before the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The party was then still struggling, and many of the second echelon died during the…

Etymology

Borrowed from French échelon (“rung; echelon”), from échelle (“ladder”) + -on (diminutive suffix). Échelle is derived from Latin scāla (“ladder”), from scandō (“to ascend, climb”), from Proto-Indo-European *skend- (“to jump”).

This word in other languages

escalón(Español)échelon(Français)Stufe(Deutsch)escalão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cehelon
  • ecchelon
  • ecehlon
  • echellon
  • echelno
  • echelonn
  • echeoln
  • echhelon
  • echleon
  • ehcelon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

cehelon2ecchelon1ecehlon2echellon1echelno2echelonn1echeoln2echhelon1
Edit distance from "echelon"

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 "echelon"?
"echelon" is spelled E-C-H-E-L-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛʃ.ə.lɒn/.
What does "echelon" mean?
As a noun, "echelon" means: A level or rank in an organization, profession, or society.
What are common misspellings of "echelon"?
Common misspellings include "cehelon", "ecchelon", "ecehlon", "echellon", "echelno". The correct spelling is "echelon".
How do you pronounce "echelon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "echelon" is /ˈɛʃ.ə.lɒn/. 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 "echelon"?
Borrowed from French échelon (“rung; echelon”), from échelle (“ladder”) + -on (diminutive suffix). Échelle is derived from Latin scāla (“ladder”), from scandō (“to ascend, climb”), from Proto-Indo-European *skend- (“to jump”). 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 "echelon", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

edifice#31,532Duterte#31,528dryness#31,527divulge#31,518

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

embossed10 variantsdrunks10 variantsfairway10 variantsDaimler10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list