on the line
"on-the-line" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“on the line” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a prep_phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 11
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - On a level with the eye of the observer, as of a picture hung in on a wall.
Corpus desk
Index EN-on-the-line · on the line · English
on the line · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 11 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "O" 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 | on the line |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Prep_phrase |
| Letters | 11 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “on the line” in English
Rare enough to double-check
on the line is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aprep_phrase. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for on the line in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is on the line, spelled O-N- -T-H-E- -L-I-N-E.
Definition
- 1On a level with the eye of the observer, as of a picture hung in on a wall.
- 2At risk, as in a contest or enterprise.
- 3Currently calling on the telephone.
- 4On one of the lines marked on a playing field or court; (by extension) within bounds.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how on the line appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
The survival of the company is on the line with this project.
I have a stalker. My life is on the line!
This word in other languages
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.