loophole

/ˈluːphəʊl/

//ˈluːphəʊl// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

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

The verdict

“loophole” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,264. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,264
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A slit in a castle wall; today, any similar window for shooting a ranged weapon or letting in light.

Corpus desk

Index EN-loophole · loophole · English

loophole · rank #21,264 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,264
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH logistical

Nearest frequency peer: logistical (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “loophole”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “loophole” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for loophole
PropertyValue
Headwordloophole
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈluːphəʊl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#21,264
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “loophole”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).loopholelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “logistical” (#21,263), “luminous” (#21,265), “LOC” (#21,262). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “loophole” is #21,264. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around loophole (IPA /ˈluːphəʊl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #21,264 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for loophole, with forms such as "lloophole", "loohpole", and "loophhole". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English loupe (“opening in a wall”) + hole, from a Germanic source. By surface analysis, loop + hole. Compare Medieval Latin loupa, lobia and Middle Dutch lupen (“to watch”). The correct English form is loophole, spelled L-O-O-P-H-O-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A slit in a castle wall; today, any similar window for shooting a ranged weapon or letting in light.
  2. 2
    A method of escape, especially an ambiguity or exception in a rule or law that can be exploited in order to avoid its effect.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […] and having a fair loophole, as it were, from a broken hole in the tree, he took a sure aim, without being seen, waiting till they were within about thirty yards of the tree, so that he could not miss.
  2. There was a loophole in this wall, to let the light in, just at the height of a person's head, who was sitting near the chimney.

Etymology

From Middle English loupe (“opening in a wall”) + hole, from a Germanic source. By surface analysis, loop + hole. Compare Medieval Latin loupa, lobia and Middle Dutch lupen (“to watch”).

This word in other languages

aspillera(Español)meurtrière(Français)Schießscharte(Deutsch)seteira(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • lloophole
  • loohpole
  • loophhole
  • loophloe
  • loophoel
  • loopholle
  • loopohle
  • loopphole
  • lophole
  • lopohole
  • olophole

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of loophole - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

lloophole1loohpole2loophhole1loophloe2loophoel2loopholle1loopohle2loopphole1
Edit distance from "loophole"

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

How do you spell "loophole"?
"loophole" is spelled L-O-O-P-H-O-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈluːphəʊl/.
What does "loophole" mean?
As a noun, "loophole" means: A slit in a castle wall; today, any similar window for shooting a ranged weapon or letting in light.
What are common misspellings of "loophole"?
Common misspellings include "lloophole", "loohpole", "loophhole", "loophloe", "loophoel". The correct spelling is "loophole".
How do you pronounce "loophole"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "loophole" is /ˈluːphəʊl/. 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 "loophole"?
From Middle English loupe (“opening in a wall”) + hole, from a Germanic source. By surface analysis, loop + hole. Compare Medieval Latin loupa, lobia and Middle Dutch lupen (“to watch”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "loophole", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

luminous#21,265liberate#21,260McDowell#21,278Michelin#21,285

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Marseille11 variantsKnowles11 variantsMcDonnell11 variantsmodesty11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list