flashlight

/ˈflæʃˌlaɪt/

//ˈflæʃˌlaɪt// noun

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

"flashlight" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“flashlight” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,816. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,816
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A battery-powered hand-held light source.

Corpus desk

Index EN-flashlight · flashlight · English

flashlight · rank #15,816 · 17 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,816
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH feeder

Nearest frequency peer: feeder (-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 “flashlight”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “flashlight” 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 flashlight
PropertyValue
Headwordflashlight
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈflæʃˌlaɪt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#15,816
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “flashlight”

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).flashlightlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “feeder” (#15,815), “flattering” (#15,817), “extremist” (#15,814). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “flashlight” is #15,816. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around flashlight (IPA /ˈflæʃˌlaɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,816 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for flashlight, with forms such as "falshlight", "fflashlight", and "flahslight". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From flash + light. The correct English form is flashlight, spelled F-L-A-S-H-L-I-G-H-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A battery-powered hand-held light source.
  2. 2
    A flashgun (device used to create flashes of light for photography).
  3. 3
    A photograph taken with a flash camera.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. At school he used to do Dr. Jekyll turning into Mr. Hyde, shining a flashlight into his face.
  2. He sat in an arm-chair with his forefinger to his temple, and when the photographer's flashlight went off, he hoped that the hotel had caught fire and that this would end it all.

Etymology

From flash + light.

This word in other languages

linterna(Español)lampe de poche(Français)Taschenlampe(Deutsch)lanterna(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • falshlight
  • fflashlight
  • flahslight
  • flashhlight
  • flashilght
  • flashlgiht
  • flashligght
  • flashlighht
  • flashlightt
  • flashligth
  • flashlihgt
  • flashllight
  • flaslhight
  • flasshlight
  • fllashlight
  • flsahlight
  • lfashlight

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of flashlight - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

falshlight2fflashlight1flahslight2flashhlight1flashilght2flashlgiht2flashligght1flashlighht1
Edit distance from "flashlight"

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 "flashlight"?
"flashlight" is spelled F-L-A-S-H-L-I-G-H-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈflæʃˌlaɪt/.
What does "flashlight" mean?
As a noun, "flashlight" means: A battery-powered hand-held light source.
What are common misspellings of "flashlight"?
Common misspellings include "falshlight", "fflashlight", "flahslight", "flashhlight", "flashilght". The correct spelling is "flashlight".
How do you pronounce "flashlight"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "flashlight" is /ˈflæʃˌlaɪt/. 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 "flashlight"?
From flash + light. 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 "flashlight", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

flattering#15,817excavation#15,813estimation#15,811enthusiast#15,809

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

intolerance17 variantsconfinement17 variantssubstituted17 variantsirresistible17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list