oblong

/ˈɒblɒŋ/

//ˈɒblɒŋ// adj

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

"oblong" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“oblong” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,677. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,677
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
9
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having a length and width that are different; not square or circular.

Corpus desk

Index EN-oblong · oblong · English

oblong · rank #31,677 · 9 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #31,677
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH normality

Nearest frequency peer: normality (-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 “oblong”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “oblong” 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 oblong
PropertyValue
Headwordoblong
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɒblɒŋ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#31,677
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “oblong”

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

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “normality” (#31,676), “NGL” (#31,675), “ooooh” (#31,679). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “oblong” is #31,677. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around oblong (IPA /ˈɒblɒŋ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #31,677 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for oblong, with forms such as "bolong", "obblong", and "obllong". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English oblong, oblonge, borrowed from Latin oblongus. The correct English form is oblong, spelled O-B-L-O-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having a length and width that are different; not square or circular.
  2. 2
    Roughly rectangular or elliptical.
  3. 3
    Having the horizontal axis of a page longer than the vertical; In landscape orientation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The room was quite dark. The oblong window showed the night sky pricked here and there with stars.
  2. Plant upright spreading hardy, vigorous and productive; berry, oblong, round, medium size, sweet but rather ideipid.

Etymology

From Middle English oblong, oblonge, borrowed from Latin oblongus.

This word in other languages

oblongo(Español)oblong(Français)länglich(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bolong
  • obblong
  • obllong
  • oblnog
  • oblogn
  • oblongg
  • oblonng
  • obolng
  • olbong

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of oblong - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

bolong2obblong1obllong1oblnog2oblogn2oblongg1oblonng1obolng2
Edit distance from "oblong"

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 "oblong"?
"oblong" is spelled O-B-L-O-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒblɒŋ/.
What does "oblong" mean?
As an adjective, "oblong" means: Having a length and width that are different; not square or circular.
What are common misspellings of "oblong"?
Common misspellings include "bolong", "obblong", "obllong", "oblnog", "oblogn". The correct spelling is "oblong".
How do you pronounce "oblong"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "oblong" is /ˈɒblɒŋ/. 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 "oblong"?
From Middle English oblong, oblonge, borrowed from Latin oblongus. 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 "oblong", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Narnia#31,672nachos#31,669Mysore#31,667panzer#31,693

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Pereira9 variantsplowed9 variantspusher9 variantsLayton9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list