like that

prep_phrase

"like-that" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“like that” 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
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Used adverbially or adjectivally to indicate similitude, similarity, equivalent or comparable quality

Corpus desk

Index EN-like-that · like that · English

like that · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 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.

Key facts for like that
PropertyValue
Headwordlike that
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPrep_phrase
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “like that” in English

like thatsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

like that is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aprep_phrase. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for like that in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is like that, spelled L-I-K-E- -T-H-A-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Used adverbially or adjectivally to indicate similitude, similarity, equivalent or comparable quality
  2. 2
    Used adverbially or adjectivally to indicate similitude, similarity, equivalent or comparable quality
  3. 3
    Used adverbially or adjectivally to indicate similitude, similarity, equivalent or comparable quality
  4. 4
    suddenly; unexpectedly.
  5. 5
    Used to indicate agreement with another speaker's statement.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We don't talk like that around here.
  2. I can't believe anyone past the age of six would behave like that in public.

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 "like that"?
"like that" is spelled L-I-K-E- -T-H-A-T.
What does "like that" mean?
As a prep_phrase, "like that" means: Used adverbially or adjectivally to indicate similitude, similarity, equivalent or comparable quality
What language does "like that" come from?
"like that" 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list