logarithm
/ˈlɒɡ.ə.ɹɪ.ð(ə)m/
"logarithm" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“logarithm” is uncommon English (frequency #51,828 among 16,425 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #51,828
- frequency rank, English
- 16,425
- “L” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - For a number x, the exponent by which a given base number must be raised in order to obtain the power x. Written log _bx. For example, log ₁₀1000=3 because 10³=1000 and log ₂16=4 because 2⁴=16.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | logarithm |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈlɒɡ.ə.ɹɪ.ð(ə)m/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #51,828 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “logarithm” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
logarithm is uncommon English at frequency #51,828 among 16,425 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈlɒɡ.ə.ɹɪ.ð(ə)m/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "For a number x, the exponent by which a given base number must be raised in order to obtain the power x. Written log _bx. For example, log ₁₀1000=3 because 10³=1000 and log ₂16=4 because 2⁴=16.".
Zero misspellings are on record for logarithm in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.
Etymologically, the entry records: From New Latin logarithmus, term coined by Scottish mathematician John Napier from Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos, “word, reckoning”) and ἀριθμός (arithmós, “number”); compare rational number, from analogous Latin. The correct English form is logarithm, spelled L-O-G-A-R-I-T-H-M.
Definition
- 1For a number x, the exponent by which a given base number must be raised in order to obtain the power x. Written log _bx. For example, log ₁₀1000=3 because 10³=1000 and log ₂16=4 because 2⁴=16.
Etymology
From New Latin logarithmus, term coined by Scottish mathematician John Napier from Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos, “word, reckoning”) and ἀριθμός (arithmós, “number”); compare rational number, from analogous Latin.
Synonyms
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); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “logarithm”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is L-O-G-A-R-I-T-H-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈlɒɡ.ə.ɹɪ.ð(ə)m/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Other uncommon English words near this rank
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.