on the lookout
"on-the-lookout" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“on the lookout” 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
- 14
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Constantly alert, intent on finding something or someone.
Corpus desk
Index EN-on-the-lookout · on the lookout · English
on the lookout · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 14 letters
- VOW-6 6 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 lookout |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Prep_phrase |
| Letters | 14 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “on the lookout” in English
Rare enough to double-check
on the lookout is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aprep_phrase. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Constantly alert, intent on finding something or someone.".
No generated misspelling entries exist for on the lookout in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is on the lookout, spelled O-N- -T-H-E- -L-O-O-K-O-U-T.
Definition
- 1Constantly alert, intent on finding something or someone.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how on the lookout appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
I'm on the lookout for a good example of a Roman dinar from the 1st century. Let me know if you hear of one anywhere.
In London, of all places, where people are always on the lookout for opportunities to commit crimes: an unzipped handbag, a phone sticking out of a back pocket, an unpadlocked bike.
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.