layoff
noun
layoff is spelled L-A-Y-O-F-F: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,459th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “lay-off vs layoff” about 20 times a month (Google, United States). As a noun, layoff means “A dismissal of employees from their jobs because of tightened budgetary constraints or work shortage (not due to poor performance or misconduct)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of layoff is layoffs.
How many letters and syllables are in layoff?
| Letters | 6: L-A-Y-O-F-F |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 37,459th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How common is layoff?
Layoff appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,459th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce layoff?
Layoff has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-layoff.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with layoff
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Also written: lay-off (one word or two).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of layoff
- layoffs plural
- lay-off
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does layoff mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
USA dismissal of employees from their jobs because of tightened budgetary constraints or work shortage (not due to poor performance or misconduct).
- 2
A period of time when someone is unavailable for work.
- 3
UKA short pass that has been rolled in front of another player for them to kick.
- 4
A bet that is laid off, i.e. placed with another bookmaker in order to reduce risk.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Layoff in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense dismissal of employees:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | chômage technique, licenciement économique |
| German | Stellenabbau, Personalabbau, Entlassung, Kündigung, Arbeitsunterbrechung |
| Spanish | despido, recorte de personal, reducción del plantel |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does layoff come from?
Deverbal from lay off.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).