outlaw

/ˈaʊt.lɔː/

//ˈaʊt.lɔː// noun

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

"outlaw" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“outlaw” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,801. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,801
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A fugitive from the law.

Corpus desk

Index EN-outlaw · outlaw · English

outlaw · rank #14,801 · 8 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,801
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH Oslo

Nearest frequency peer: Oslo (-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 “outlaw”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “outlaw” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

outlaw vs outta
67% similar
outlaw vs outlet
67% similar
outlaw vs outlay
83% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for outlaw
PropertyValue
Headwordoutlaw
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈaʊt.lɔː/
Letters6
Frequency rank#14,801
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “outlaw”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).outlawlands 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 “Oslo” (#14,800), “oversee” (#14,802), “pageant” (#14,803). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “outlaw” is #14,801. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around outlaw (IPA /ˈaʊt.lɔː/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #14,801 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for outlaw, with forms such as "otulaw", "oultaw", and "outalw". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "outta", "outlet", "outlay", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English outlawe, outlagh, utlaȝe, from Old English ūtlaga (“outlaw”), borrowed from Old Norse útlagi (“outlaw, fugitive”), equivalent to out- + law. Cognate with Icelandic útlagi (“outlaw”). The correct English form is outlaw, spelled O-U-T-L-A-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    A fugitive from the law.
  2. 2
    A criminal who is excluded from normal legal rights; one who can be killed at will without legal penalty.
  3. 3
    A person who operates outside established norms.
  4. 4
    A wild or violent animal, such as a horse.
  5. 5
    An in-law: a relative by marriage.
  6. 6
    One who would be an in-law except that the marriage-like relationship is unofficial.
  7. 7
    A prostitute who works alone, without a pimp.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. “I am going to a certain tower, one of three that were built in my grandsire’s time to guard Lantern Waste against certain perilous outlaws who dwelled there in his day. […]"
  2. The main character in the play was a bit of an outlaw who refused to shake hands or say thank you.

Etymology

From Middle English outlawe, outlagh, utlaȝe, from Old English ūtlaga (“outlaw”), borrowed from Old Norse útlagi (“outlaw, fugitive”), equivalent to out- + law. Cognate with Icelandic útlagi (“outlaw”).

Synonyms

absconderfugitivebanditwolf's headanti-herodeviant

This word in other languages

forajido(Español)hors-la-loi(Français)Verfemter(Deutsch)foragido(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • otulaw
  • oultaw
  • outalw
  • outlaww
  • outllaw
  • outlwa
  • outtlaw
  • uotlaw

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

otulaw2oultaw2outalw2outlaww1outllaw1outlwa2outtlaw1uotlaw2
Edit distance from "outlaw"

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 "outlaw"?
"outlaw" is spelled O-U-T-L-A-W. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈaʊt.lɔː/.
What does "outlaw" mean?
As a noun, "outlaw" means: A fugitive from the law.
What words are commonly confused with "outlaw"?
"outlaw" is commonly confused with "outta", "outlet", "outlay". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "outlaw"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "outlaw" is /ˈaʊt.lɔː/. 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 "outlaw"?
From Middle English outlawe, outlagh, utlaȝe, from Old English ūtlaga (“outlaw”), borrowed from Old Norse útlagi (“outlaw, fugitive”), equivalent to out- + law. Cognate with Icelandic útlagi (“outlaw”). 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 "outlaw", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

jaguar#14,780fandom#14,758Stalls#14,845stripe#14,846

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

spins8 variantsErnst8 variantsderive8 variantsannexed8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list