face-off
/ˈfeɪsˌɑf/
"face-off" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“face-off” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A confrontation or argument between two people or groups.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | face-off |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈfeɪsˌɑf/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “face-off” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for face-off is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfeɪsˌɑf/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for face-off, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From face + off, or a deverbal from face off, c. 1889. The correct English form is face-off, spelled F-A-C-E---O-F-F.
Definition
- 1A confrontation or argument between two people or groups.
- 2The start of play, when two players try to get control of the puck dropped by the referee.
- 3The start of play, when two players attempt to get possession of a ball placed on the ground between them by the referee.
Etymology
From face + off, or a deverbal from face off, c. 1889.
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 “face-off”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is F-A-C-E---O-F-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈfeɪsˌɑf/ (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.