outlet

/ˈaʊtlɛt/

//ˈaʊtlɛt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“outlet” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,163. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,163
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A vent or similar passage to allow the escape of something.

Corpus desk

Index EN-outlet · outlet · English

outlet · rank #7,163 · 8 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,163
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH organs

Nearest frequency peer: organs (-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 “outlet”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “outlet” 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).

outlet vs output
67% similar
outlet vs outset
83% similar
outlet vs outlier
71% similar

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

Key facts for outlet
PropertyValue
Headwordoutlet
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈaʊtlɛt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#7,163
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “outlet”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).outletlands 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 “organs” (#7,162), “nude” (#7,161), “noting” (#7,160). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “outlet” is #7,163. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around outlet (IPA /ˈaʊtlɛt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #7,163 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for outlet, with forms such as "otulet", "oultet", and "outelt". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 8 confusable-pair relationships, "output", "outset", "outlier", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English outlete, outeleate, ut-lete, derived from Middle English outleten (“to allow, let out, emit”), equivalent to out- + let. Compare West Frisian útlit (“outlet”), Dutch uitlaat (“outlet”), German Auslass (“outlet”). The correct English form is outlet, spelled O-U-T-L-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A vent or similar passage to allow the escape of something.
  2. 2
    Something which allows for the release of one's desires.
  3. 3
    A river that runs out of a lake.
  4. 4
    A shop that sells the products of a particular manufacturer or supplier.
  5. 5
    A wall-mounted socket connected to an electrical power supply, at which current can be taken to run electrical devices.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Jamie found doing martial arts was a great outlet for her stress.
  2. Song of the bleeding throat, / Death’s outlet song of life, (for well dear brother I know, / If thou wast not granted to sing thou would’st surely die.)

Etymology

From Middle English outlete, outeleate, ut-lete, derived from Middle English outleten (“to allow, let out, emit”), equivalent to out- + let. Compare West Frisian útlit (“outlet”), Dutch uitlaat (“outlet”), German Auslass (“outlet”).

This word in other languages

salida(Español)conduit(Français)Ausgang(Deutsch)ventilação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • otulet
  • oultet
  • outelt
  • outlett
  • outllet
  • outlte
  • outtlet
  • uotlet

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of outlet - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

otulet2oultet2outelt2outlett1outllet1outlte2outtlet1uotlet2
Edit distance from "outlet"

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 "outlet"?
"outlet" is spelled O-U-T-L-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈaʊtlɛt/.
What does "outlet" mean?
As a noun, "outlet" means: A vent or similar passage to allow the escape of something.
What words are commonly confused with "outlet"?
"outlet" is commonly confused with "output", "outset", "outlier". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "outlet"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "outlet" is /ˈaʊtlɛt/. 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 "outlet"?
From Middle English outlete, outeleate, ut-lete, derived from Middle English outleten (“to allow, let out, emit”), equivalent to out- + let. Compare West Frisian útlit (“outlet”), Dutch uitlaat (“outlet”), German Auslass (“outlet”). 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 "outlet", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

organs#7,162noting#7,160pledge#7,167portal#7,168

Similar misspelling depth

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

leaked8 variantsSpurs8 variantsvaccine8 variantsGeneva8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list