otherworldly

/ˌʌðəˈwɜːldli/

//ˌʌðəˈwɜːldli// adj

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

"otherworldly" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“otherworldly” has 20 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,443. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,443
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
20
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of, concerned with, or preoccupied with a world different from the tangible world, especially a fantasy, imaginary, or mystical world.

Corpus desk

Index EN-otherworldly · otherworldly · English

otherworldly · rank #35,443 · 20 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #35,443
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 20 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH opp

Nearest frequency peer: opp (-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 “otherworldly”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “otherworldly” 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 otherworldly
PropertyValue
Headwordotherworldly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌʌðəˈwɜːldli/
Letters12
Frequency rank#35,443
Misspellings tracked20
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “otherworldly”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).otherworldlylands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “opp” (#35,442), “overdo” (#35,444), “opacity” (#35,441). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “otherworldly” is #35,443. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 20 spelling variants around otherworldly (IPA /ˌʌðəˈwɜːldli/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #35,443 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for otherworldly, with forms such as "ohterworldly", "otehrworldly", and "otherowrldly". 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. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From other world (“a world beyond death; a world other than the everyday world”) + -ly (suffix meaning having the likeness of, resembling forming adjectives). The correct English form is otherworldly, spelled O-T-H-E-R-W-O-R-L-D-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of, concerned with, or preoccupied with a world different from the tangible world, especially a fantasy, imaginary, or mystical world.
  2. 2
    Of, concerned with, or preoccupied with a world different from the tangible world, especially a fantasy, imaginary, or mystical world.
  3. 3
    Of, concerned with, or preoccupied with spiritual matters.
  4. 4
    Of or relating to the imagination or intellect.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In Just My Type: A Book about Fonts (2010) Simon Garfield describes [Edward] Johnston as 'a gaunt fine-boned man with a full moustache', and there's a picture of him at work with a quill pen that makes him look as other-worldly as a medieval sprite.
  2. The bull kelp forests off Northern California are sometimes spoken of as the redwoods of the sea. And like the redwoods, these forests are in danger. In less than a decade, these otherworldly undersea landscapes, lush with life, have all but disappeared along 200 miles of coast north of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.

Etymology

From other world (“a world beyond death; a world other than the everyday world”) + -ly (suffix meaning having the likeness of, resembling forming adjectives).

This word in other languages

jenseitig(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ohterworldly
  • otehrworldly
  • otherowrldly
  • otherrworldly
  • otherwolrdly
  • otherwordlly
  • otherworlddly
  • otherworldlly
  • otherworldlyy
  • otherworldyl
  • otherworlldly
  • otherworlldy
  • otherworrldly
  • otherwroldly
  • otherwworldly
  • othewrorldly
  • othherworldly
  • othreworldly
  • ottherworldly
  • toherworldly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ohterworldly2otehrworldly2otherowrldly2otherrworldly1otherwolrdly2otherwordlly2otherworlddly1otherworldlly1
Edit distance from "otherworldly"

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 "otherworldly"?
"otherworldly" is spelled O-T-H-E-R-W-O-R-L-D-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌʌðəˈwɜːldli/.
What does "otherworldly" mean?
As an adjective, "otherworldly" means: Of, concerned with, or preoccupied with a world different from the tangible world, especially a fantasy, imaginary, or mystical world.
What are common misspellings of "otherworldly"?
Common misspellings include "ohterworldly", "otehrworldly", "otherowrldly", "otherrworldly", "otherwolrdly". The correct spelling is "otherworldly".
How do you pronounce "otherworldly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "otherworldly" is /ˌʌðəˈwɜːldli/. 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 "otherworldly"?
From other world (“a world beyond death; a world other than the everyday world”) + -ly (suffix meaning having the likeness of, resembling forming adjectives). 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 "otherworldly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

neurosurgery#35,427kaleidoscope#35,373Islamophobia#35,367subjectivity#35,541

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (20 here; floor ≥5).

protectionist20 variantsmountaineering20 variantsfortification20 variantsbiodegradable20 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list