naloxone

/nəˈlɒk.səʊn/

//nəˈlɒk.səʊn// noun

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

The verdict

“naloxone” is uncommon English (frequency #51,866 among 1,534 “N” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,866
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An opioid inverse agonist used to counter the effects of an overdose on opioids (such as heroin or morphine).

Corpus desk

Index EN-naloxone · naloxone · English

naloxone · rank #51,866 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #51,866
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH nameplate

Nearest frequency peer: nameplate (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “naloxone”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “naloxone” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for naloxone
PropertyValue
Headwordnaloxone
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/nəˈlɒk.səʊn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#51,866
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “naloxone” in English

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “nameplate” (#51,867), “Mykonos” (#51,864), “Nanaimo” (#51,868). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “naloxone” is #51,866. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

naloxone is uncommon English at frequency #51,866 among 1,534 “N” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /nəˈlɒk.səʊn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "An opioid inverse agonist used to counter the effects of an overdose on opioids (such as heroin or morphine).".

No misspelling variants are generated for naloxone in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. 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 nal- (“opioid receptor antagonist/agonist”) + (hydr)ox(y) + -one. The correct English form is naloxone, spelled N-A-L-O-X-O-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An opioid inverse agonist used to counter the effects of an overdose on opioids (such as heroin or morphine).

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Neffy uses the same spray device as Narcan, the naloxone nasal spray for opioid overdose, according to a spokesperson for its maker, ARS Pharmaceuticals.

Etymology

From nal- (“opioid receptor antagonist/agonist”) + (hydr)ox(y) + -one.

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 "naloxone"?
"naloxone" is spelled N-A-L-O-X-O-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /nəˈlɒk.səʊn/.
What does "naloxone" mean?
As a noun, "naloxone" means: An opioid inverse agonist used to counter the effects of an overdose on opioids (such as heroin or morphine).
How do you pronounce "naloxone"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "naloxone" is /nəˈlɒk.səʊn/. 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 "naloxone"?
From nal- (“opioid receptor antagonist/agonist”) + (hydr)ox(y) + -one. 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 "naloxone", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list