outlay

/ˈaʊtleɪ/

//ˈaʊtleɪ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“outlay” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,861. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,861
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 laying out or expending; that which is laid out or expended.

Corpus desk

Index EN-outlay · outlay · English

outlay · rank #35,861 · 8 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #35,861
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH overblown

Nearest frequency peer: overblown (+2 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 “outlay”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “outlay” 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).

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

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

Key facts for outlay
PropertyValue
Headwordoutlay
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈaʊtleɪ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#35,861
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “outlay”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).outlaylands 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 “overblown” (#35,863), “Orissa” (#35,858), “overestimate” (#35,864). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “outlay” is #35,861. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around outlay (IPA /ˈaʊtleɪ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #35,861 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for outlay, with forms such as "otulay", "oultay", and "outaly". 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", "outlaw", 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 out- + lay. The correct English form is outlay, spelled O-U-T-L-A-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A laying out or expending; that which is laid out or expended.
  2. 2
    The spending of money, or an expenditure.
  3. 3
    A remote haunt or habitation.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Without too much outlay, you could buy a second-hand car.
  2. Regard must be had to the extent to which the original capital outlay has not been covered by the sum of the annual provisions for renewal, that is to say, in insurance terms, to the unexpired life of the original work, although this financial factor has to be modified in the light of the actual physical condition of the work to be replaced.

Etymology

From out- + lay.

This word in other languages

gasto(Español)dépense(Français)Ausgabe(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • otulay
  • oultay
  • outaly
  • outlayy
  • outllay
  • outlya
  • outtlay
  • uotlay

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of outlay - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

otulay2oultay2outaly2outlayy1outllay1outlya2outtlay1uotlay2
Edit distance from "outlay"

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 "outlay"?
"outlay" is spelled O-U-T-L-A-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈaʊtleɪ/.
What does "outlay" mean?
As a noun, "outlay" means: A laying out or expending; that which is laid out or expended.
What words are commonly confused with "outlay"?
"outlay" is commonly confused with "outta", "outlet", "outlaw". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "outlay"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "outlay" is /ˈaʊtleɪ/. 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 "outlay"?
From out- + lay. 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 "outlay", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Orissa#35,858pandit#35,867pathos#35,870Perrin#35,876

Similar misspelling depth

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

musty8 variantsPopeye8 variantsMessina8 variantsQuezon8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list