last but not least
/ˈlæst bʌt nɑt ˈlist/
"last-but-not-least" is a 15-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“last but not least” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adverb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 18
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An expression to start the last item of a list, emphasising that while it is listed last, it is just as important as the rest of the items.
Corpus desk
Index EN-last-but-not-least · last but not least · English
last but not least · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 18 letters
- VOW-5 5 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "L" 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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | last but not least |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /ˈlæst bʌt nɑt ˈlist/ |
| Letters | 18 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “last but not least” in English
Rare enough to double-check
last but not least is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadverb, transcribed /ˈlæst bʌt nɑt ˈlist/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "An expression to start the last item of a list, emphasising that while it is listed last, it is just as important as the rest of the items.".
last but not least has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: Rhetoric: A possible/common pattern to arrange a speech or essay suggests putting your strongest and thus most important argument favoring your own opinion first and conclude with the weakest, thus least important argument. The correct English form is last but not least, spelled L-A-S-T- -B-U-T- -N-O-T- -L-E-A-S-T.
Definition
- 1An expression to start the last item of a list, emphasising that while it is listed last, it is just as important as the rest of the items.
Recorded use
Wiktionary exampleThese source excerpts show how last but not least appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
And, last but not least, Pep Guardiola’s tactical mastery shone through despite setbacks.
Etymology
Rhetoric: A possible/common pattern to arrange a speech or essay suggests putting your strongest and thus most important argument favoring your own opinion first and conclude with the weakest, thus least important argument.
Synonyms
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.