notch

/nɒtʃ/

//nɒtʃ// noun

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

"notch" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“notch” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,926. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,926
frequency rank, English
1,534
“N” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A V-shaped cut.

Corpus desk

Index EN-notch · notch · English

notch · rank #9,926 · 8 variants · 10 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,926
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-MID 10 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,534
  • PHOTO-FINISH omega

Nearest frequency peer: omega (+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 “notch”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “notch” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

notch vs nth
60% similar
notch vs note
60% similar
notch vs notes
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for notch
PropertyValue
Headwordnotch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/nɒtʃ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#9,926
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “notch”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).notchlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “omega” (#9,927), “Newport” (#9,924), “onions” (#9,928). Among 1,534 “N” headwords, “notch” is #9,926. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around notch (IPA /nɒtʃ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #9,926 among 1,534 “N” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for notch, with forms such as "nnotch", "nocth", and "notcch". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "nth", "note", "notes", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Recorded since 1577, probably a rebracketing of an otch, from Middle French oche (“notch”), itself from the Old French verb ochier (“to notch”), of uncertain origin, but possibly related to French hocher and English nick (“small cut, notch”). The correct English form is notch, spelled N-O-T-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    A V-shaped cut.
  2. 2
    A V-shaped cut.
  3. 3
    An indentation.
  4. 4
    A mountain pass; a defile.
  5. 5
    The female primary sex organ, vulva.
  6. 6
    A woman.
  7. 7
    A discontinuous change in a taxation schedule.
  8. 8
    A level or degree.
  9. 9
    A portion of a mobile phone that overlaps the edge of the screen, used to house a camera, sensors etc. while maximizing screen space.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The notches in that tribe's warrior axe handles stand for killed enemies.
  2. If this Coin pass, no Man that lives, Shall dun for Past Debauches; Zounds, Landlords, send but in your Wifes, We’ll scow’r off all their Notches.

Etymology

Recorded since 1577, probably a rebracketing of an otch, from Middle French oche (“notch”), itself from the Old French verb ochier (“to notch”), of uncertain origin, but possibly related to French hocher and English nick (“small cut, notch”).

This word in other languages

escotadura(Español)entaille(Français)Kerbe(Deutsch)desfiladeiro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nnotch
  • nocth
  • notcch
  • notchh
  • nothc
  • nottch
  • ntoch
  • ontch

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of notch - 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.

nnotch1nocth2notcch1notchh1nothc2nottch1ntoch2ontch2
Edit distance from "notch"

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 "notch"?
"notch" is spelled N-O-T-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /nɒtʃ/.
What does "notch" mean?
As a noun, "notch" means: A V-shaped cut.
What words are commonly confused with "notch"?
"notch" is commonly confused with "nth", "note", "notes". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "notch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "notch" is /nɒtʃ/. 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 "notch"?
Recorded since 1577, probably a rebracketing of an otch, from Middle French oche (“notch”), itself from the Old French verb ochier (“to notch”), of uncertain origin, but possibly related to French hocher and English nick (“small cut, notch”). 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 "notch", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

omega#9,927Qatar#9,944queue#9,946hears#9,903

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

onions8 variantspaired8 variantsparole8 variantsideals8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list