obsolete

/ˈɒbsəliːt/

//ˈɒbsəliːt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“obsolete” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,115. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,115
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - No longer in use; gone into disuse; disused or neglected (often in favour of something newer).

Corpus desk

Index EN-obsolete · obsolete · English

obsolete · rank #12,115 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,115
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH numerical

Nearest frequency peer: numerical (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “obsolete”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “obsolete” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for obsolete
PropertyValue
Headwordobsolete
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɒbsəliːt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#12,115
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “obsolete” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around obsolete (IPA /ˈɒbsəliːt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #12,115 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for obsolete, with forms such as "bosolete", "obbsolete", and "oboslete". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin obsolētus (“worn out, gone out of use”), past participle of obsolēscere (“to wear out, fall into disuse, grow old, decay”); see obsolesce. The correct English form is obsolete, spelled O-B-S-O-L-E-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    No longer in use; gone into disuse; disused or neglected (often in favour of something newer).
  2. 2
    Imperfectly developed; not very distinct.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Speedy, worldwide, accessible delivery of news through the Web has made newspapers obsolete.
  2. Horses became obsolete means of transportation in cities in the first half of the twentieth century.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin obsolētus (“worn out, gone out of use”), past participle of obsolēscere (“to wear out, fall into disuse, grow old, decay”); see obsolesce.

Synonyms

anachronisticantediluvialantediluvianantiquatedantiquearchaicbackwardbackwardsbehind the timescobwebbedcobwebbydateddefunctdiscontinueddisuseddootsieelderlyextinctexpiredfossilizedHavishamesqueidleMiss Havishamesqueobsoleteoldoldfangledold-fashionedold schooloutdatedoutmodedout of dateout of fashionoutwornparachronisticpassésuperannuatedsupersededunemployedunoccupiedvenerableworkless

Antonyms

activecurrentemployedfashionablefuture proofin usenascentnewnewfanglednovelrecentup-to-date

This word in other languages

obsoleto(Español)obsolète(Français)veraltet(Deutsch)obsoleto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bosolete
  • obbsolete
  • oboslete
  • obsloete
  • obsoelte
  • obsoleet
  • obsolette
  • obsollete
  • obsoltee
  • obssolete
  • osbolete

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bosolete2obbsolete1oboslete2obsloete2obsoelte2obsoleet2obsolette1obsollete1
Edit distance from "obsolete"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "obsolete"?
"obsolete" is spelled O-B-S-O-L-E-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒbsəliːt/.
What does "obsolete" mean?
As an adjective, "obsolete" means: No longer in use; gone into disuse; disused or neglected (often in favour of something newer).
What are common misspellings of "obsolete"?
Common misspellings include "bosolete", "obbsolete", "oboslete", "obsloete", "obsoelte". The correct spelling is "obsolete".
How do you pronounce "obsolete"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obsolete" is /ˈɒbsəliːt/. 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 "obsolete"?
Borrowed from Latin obsolētus (“worn out, gone out of use”), past participle of obsolēscere (“to wear out, fall into disuse, grow old, decay”); see obsolesce. 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 "obsolete", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

narrowly#12,109ruthless#12,132simplest#12,141tempting#12,152

Similar misspelling depth

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

panther11 variantsPerkins11 variantsrefresh11 variantslobster11 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "obsolete". Here's where to go from here.

  • 11 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #12,115 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "O" letter cohort. O–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list