in time

prep_phrase

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

"in-time" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - At or before the time assigned.

Corpus desk

Index EN-in-time · in time · English

in time · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "I" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for in time
PropertyValue
Headwordin time
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPrep_phrase
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “in time” sits in English frequency

in time 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

in time is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aprep_phrase. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for in time in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is in time, spelled I-N- -T-I-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    At or before the time assigned.
  2. 2
    Sufficiently early.
  3. 3
    As time passes.
  4. 4
    In rhythm.
  5. 5
    At the same rhythm as.
  6. 6
    In the correct tempo.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I would have died had I not been gottten to hospital in time.
  2. You've got here in time for tea — I was just making some.

Synonyms

earlyon timepromptlyas time goes byover timewith the passage of timewith the passing of timeinto timeunto time

Antonyms

behind timelatelatetoo lateall at oncenever

This word in other languages

a tiempo(Español)à l'heure(Français)rechtzeitig(Deutsch)a tempo(Português)

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.

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 September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "in time"?
"in time" is spelled I-N- -T-I-M-E.
What does "in time" mean?
As a prep_phrase, "in time" means: At or before the time assigned.
What language does "in time" come from?
"in time" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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.

What to do next

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PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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