low on the totem pole
"low-on-the-totem-pole" is a 17-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“low on the totem pole” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 21
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Accorded relatively little importance.
Corpus desk
Index EN-low-on-the-totem-pole · low on the totem pole · English
low on the totem pole · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 21 letters
- VOW-7 7 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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | low on the totem pole |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| Letters | 21 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “low on the totem pole” in English
Rare enough to double-check
low on the totem pole is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Accorded relatively little importance.".
No generated misspelling entries exist for low on the totem pole in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: Derived from totem poles, traditional sculptures of wood made by American Indians, usually with several figures carved one above the other. The vertical order was mistakenly perceived by the non-Indians to correspond with the figures' rank of importance. The correct English form is low on the totem pole, spelled L-O-W- -O-N- -T-H-E- -T-O-T-E-M- -P-O-L-E.
Definition
- 1Accorded relatively little importance.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how low on the totem pole appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
1965, 7th of April, Washington Observer, King Defends Alabama Boycott, Answers Critics Gaston said, however, that the boycott would not substantially affect Negroes because they are "so low on the totem pole."
He's new to the Pianta syndicate. I think he's still the low man on the totem pole.
Etymology
Derived from totem poles, traditional sculptures of wood made by American Indians, usually with several figures carved one above the other. The vertical order was mistakenly perceived by the non-Indians to correspond with the figures' rank of importance.
Antonyms
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.