little-go

/ˈlɪtəlɡəʊ/

//ˈlɪtəlɡəʊ// noun

"little-go" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“little-go” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. 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) - A private lottery, especially when illegal.

Corpus desk

Index EN-little-go · little-go · English

little-go · 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 little-go
PropertyValue
Headwordlittle-go
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɪtəlɡəʊ/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “little-go” in English

little-gofalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

little-go is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈlɪtəlɡəʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

little-go doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From little + go. The correct English form is little-go, spelled L-I-T-T-L-E---G-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A private lottery, especially when illegal.
  2. 2
    Alternative form of little go (“university exam”).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. "Oh," said Mr. Charles Larkyns, "they give you no end of trouble at these places; and they require the vaccination certificate before you go in for your responsions, - the Little-go, you know. You need not mention my name in your letter as having told you this. It will be quite enough to say that you understand such a thing is required."
  2. At school they never flogg'd him, / At college, though not fast, / Yet his little-go and great-go / He creditably pass'd, / And made his year's allowance / For eighteen months to last.

Etymology

From little + go.

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 "little-go"?
"little-go" is spelled L-I-T-T-L-E---G-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɪtəlɡəʊ/.
What does "little-go" mean?
As a noun, "little-go" means: A private lottery, especially when illegal.
How do you pronounce "little-go"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "little-go" is /ˈlɪtəlɡəʊ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "little-go"?
From little + go. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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