let alone
"let-alone" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“let alone” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a conjunction - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Much less; to say nothing of; used after one negative clause to introduce another, usually broader and more important clause, whose negation is implied by the negation of the first. However either ...
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | let alone |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Conjunction |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “let alone” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for let alone is 9 letters long, classified as a conjunction. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for let alone, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct English form is let alone, spelled L-E-T- -A-L-O-N-E.
Definition
- 1Much less; to say nothing of; used after one negative clause to introduce another, usually broader and more important clause, whose negation is implied by the negation of the first. However either of these instances mentioned can be applied with the use of let alone.
- 2Not to mention, as well as; used after one item, to introduce a further item which is entailed by the first.
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
How do you spell "let alone"?
What does "let alone" mean?
What language does "let alone" come from?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “let alone”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is L-E-T- -A-L-O-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- 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.