long shot
"long-shot" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“long shot” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - 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) - A shot fired at a distant target.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | long shot |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “long shot” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for long shot is 9 letters long, classified as a noun. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No generated misspelling entries exist for long shot in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From long + shot. The term arose from the accuracy of early naval guns, which were effective only at close range and unlikely to hit the mark at any great distance. The correct English form is long shot, spelled L-O-N-G- -S-H-O-T.
Definition
- 1A shot fired at a distant target.
- 2Something unlikely; something that has little chance of happening or working; long odds
- 3A master shot, the primary wide shot of a scene into which the closeups will be edited later.
- 4Synonym of long take; a single, continuous shot that lasts for an unusually long duration without any cuts.
Etymology
From long + shot. The term arose from the accuracy of early naval guns, which were effective only at close range and unlikely to hit the mark at any great distance.
Synonyms
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
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Using “long shot”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is L-O-N-G- -S-H-O-T - 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.