outrigger

/ˈaʊtˌɹɪɡə/

//ˈaʊtˌɹɪɡə// noun

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

"outrigger" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“outrigger” is uncommon English (frequency #67,709 among 1,431 “O” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#67,709
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of various projecting beams or spars that provide support for a sailing ship's mast.

Corpus desk

Index EN-outrigger · outrigger · English

outrigger · rank #67,709 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #67,709
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH overstuffed

Nearest frequency peer: overstuffed (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “outrigger”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “outrigger” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for outrigger
PropertyValue
Headwordoutrigger
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈaʊtˌɹɪɡə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#67,709
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “outrigger” in English

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).outriggerfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “overstuffed” (#67,711), “palomino” (#67,713), “ontologies” (#67,704). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “outrigger” is #67,709. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

outrigger is uncommon English at frequency #67,709 among 1,431 “O” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈaʊtˌɹɪɡə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for outrigger, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Modification of earlier outligger after rig (“to fit out”); equivalent to out- + ligger. The correct English form is outrigger, spelled O-U-T-R-I-G-G-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of various projecting beams or spars that provide support for a sailing ship's mast.
  2. 2
    A long thin timber, pontoon, or other float attached parallel to a canoe or boat by projecting struts as a means of preventing tipping or capsizing.
  3. 3
    An outrigger canoe or boat.
  4. 4
    An iron bracket or brace for an oarlock projecting from the side of a rowing boat.
  5. 5
    An extension mechanism, often retractable when not in use, on a boat, vehicle, or structure which helps to stabilize it to keep it from tipping over.
  6. 6
    A type of ski pole, with skis attached at the bottom, instead of the spike/pick found on a normal pole. It is used in downhill skiing variants of para-skiing, especially those that use a sit-ski, such as the monoski.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The Sentinelese hunt in the rainforest and fish in the coastal waters using spears, bows and arrows, as well as homemade narrow outrigger canoes, according to Survival International.
  2. From the cowcatcher hung the outrigger of the tricycle, leaping about as though in the grip of death itself, beating against the iron that had shattered it, striking the road, sending the gravel flying.

Etymology

Modification of earlier outligger after rig (“to fit out”); equivalent to out- + ligger.

This word in other languages

tangon(Français)Ausleger(Deutsch)

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 "outrigger"?
"outrigger" is spelled O-U-T-R-I-G-G-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈaʊtˌɹɪɡə/.
What does "outrigger" mean?
As a noun, "outrigger" means: Any of various projecting beams or spars that provide support for a sailing ship's mast.
How do you pronounce "outrigger"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "outrigger" is /ˈaʊtˌɹɪɡə/. 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 "outrigger"?
Modification of earlier outligger after rig (“to fit out”); equivalent to out- + ligger. 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 "outrigger", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

offscreen#67,698objectify#67,696nutritive#67,694numerator#67,691

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list