outline
/ˈaʊtlaɪn/
"outline" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“outline” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,071 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #8,071
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 9
- tracked misspellings
- 8
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A line marking the boundary of an object figure.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | outline |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈaʊtlaɪn/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #8,071 |
| Misspellings tracked | 9 |
| Confusable pairs | 8 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “outline” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for outline is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈaʊtlaɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,071 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for outline, with forms such as "otuline", "oultine", and "outilne". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "outside", "outlive", "outlying", 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 + line. The correct English form is outline, spelled O-U-T-L-I-N-E.
Definition
- 1A line marking the boundary of an object figure.
- 2The outer shape of an object or figure.
- 3A sketch or drawing in which objects are delineated in contours without shading.
- 4A general description of some subject.
- 5A statement summarizing the important points of a text.
- 6A preliminary plan for a project.
- 7A prose telling of a story intended to be turned into a screenplay; generally longer and more detailed than a treatment.
- 8A setline or trotline.
Etymology
From out + line.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: otuline,oultine,outilne,outlien,outlinne,outlline,outlnie,outtline,uotline
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of outline - 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.
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 "outline"?
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Using “outline”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is O-U-T-L-I-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈaʊtlaɪn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “outside” - see the side-by-side comparison. outline vs outside
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.