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 15,494 “O” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#67,709
frequency rank, English
15,494
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of various projecting beams or spars that provide support for a sailing ship's mast.

Key facts for outrigger
PropertyValue
Headwordoutrigger
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈaʊtˌɹɪɡə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#67,709
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “outrigger” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). outrigger lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

outrigger is uncommon English at frequency #67,709 among 15,494 “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.

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.

Using “outrigger”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is O-U-T-R-I-G-G-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈaʊtˌɹɪɡə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list