let-down
/ˈlɛtdaʊn/
"let-down" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“let-down” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A disappointment or anticlimax.
Corpus desk
Index EN-let-down · let-down · English
let-down · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 8 letters
- VOW-2 2 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 | let-down |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈlɛtdaʊn/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “let-down” in English
Rare enough to double-check
let-down is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈlɛtdaʊn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for let-down, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. 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: Deverbal from let down. The correct English form is let-down, spelled L-E-T---D-O-W-N.
Definition
- 1A disappointment or anticlimax.
- 2The neurohormonal release of milk in dairy cows or in breastfeeding human mothers.
- 3The clearance of an aircraft to descend through clouds to clear air below, or the process of granting such a clearance.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how let-down appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
After seeing all the advertisements, the show itself was quite a let-down.
Journalists aside, are we so used to people looking glossier and younger in their profile photos—whether on social media or for work—that a certain percentage of “let-down” is baked into our expectations of meeting them in person?
Etymology
Deverbal from let down.
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.