onslaught

/ˈɒn.slɔːt/

//ˈɒn.slɔːt// noun

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

"onslaught" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“onslaught” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,457. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,457
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A fierce attack.

Corpus desk

Index EN-onslaught · onslaught · English

onslaught · rank #22,457 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,457
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH Okinawa

Nearest frequency peer: Okinawa (-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 “onslaught”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “onslaught” 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 onslaught
PropertyValue
Headwordonslaught
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɒn.slɔːt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#22,457
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “onslaught”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Okinawa” (#22,456), “opal” (#22,458), “Odessa” (#22,455). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “onslaught” is #22,457. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around onslaught (IPA /ˈɒn.slɔːt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #22,457 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for onslaught, with forms such as "noslaught", "onlsaught", and "onnslaught". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From on- + slaught. Formed after Middle Dutch aenslag, aenslach, equivalent to aen + slag, although slaught corresponds to Middle Dutch slacht; slag is cognate with the English weaving term sley. Compare Dutch aanslag and German Anschlag. The correct English form is onslaught, spelled O-N-S-L-A-U-G-H-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A fierce attack.
  2. 2
    A large number of people or things resembling an attack.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. They opened the doors and prepared for the onslaught of holiday shoppers.
  2. The inevitable Baggies onslaught followed as substitute Simon Cox saw his strike excellently parried by keeper Bunn, with Cox heading the rebound down into the ground and agonisingly over the bar.

Etymology

From on- + slaught. Formed after Middle Dutch aenslag, aenslach, equivalent to aen + slag, although slaught corresponds to Middle Dutch slacht; slag is cognate with the English weaving term sley. Compare Dutch aanslag and German Anschlag.

This word in other languages

embestida(Español)assaut(Français)Angriff(Deutsch)investida(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • noslaught
  • onlsaught
  • onnslaught
  • onsalught
  • onslaguht
  • onslaugght
  • onslaughht
  • onslaughtt
  • onslaugth
  • onslauhgt
  • onsllaught
  • onsluaght
  • onsslaught
  • osnlaught

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

noslaught2onlsaught2onnslaught1onsalught2onslaguht2onslaugght1onslaughht1onslaughtt1
Edit distance from "onslaught"

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 "onslaught"?
"onslaught" is spelled O-N-S-L-A-U-G-H-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒn.slɔːt/.
What does "onslaught" mean?
As a noun, "onslaught" means: A fierce attack.
What are common misspellings of "onslaught"?
Common misspellings include "noslaught", "onlsaught", "onnslaught", "onsalught", "onslaguht". The correct spelling is "onslaught".
How do you pronounce "onslaught"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "onslaught" is /ˈɒn.slɔːt/. 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 "onslaught"?
From on- + slaught. Formed after Middle Dutch aenslag, aenslach, equivalent to aen + slag, although slaught corresponds to Middle Dutch slacht; slag is cognate with the English weaving term sley. Compare Dutch aanslag and German Anschlag. 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 "onslaught", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

obscurity#22,454partridge#22,465meteorite#22,439McCormick#22,436

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

patrolling14 variantsrecurrence14 variantsLithuanian14 variantsinsurgent14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list