outsource

/ˈaʊtˌsoɹs/

//ˈaʊtˌsoɹs// verb

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

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

The verdict

“outsource” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,107. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,107
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To transfer the management or day-to-day execution of a business function to a third-party service provider.

Corpus desk

Index EN-outsource · outsource · English

outsource · rank #32,107 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,107
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH onsite

Nearest frequency peer: onsite (-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 “outsource”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “outsource” 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
Key facts for outsource
PropertyValue
Headwordoutsource
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈaʊtˌsoɹs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#32,107
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “outsource”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).outsourcelands 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 “onsite” (#32,105), “onerous” (#32,104), “O'Shea” (#32,103). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “outsource” is #32,107. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around outsource (IPA /ˈaʊtˌsoɹs/), averb. Corpus frequency is #32,107 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To transfer the management or day-to-day execution of a business function to a third-party service provider.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for outsource, with forms such as "otusource", "oustource", and "outosurce". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From out- + source. The correct English form is outsource, spelled O-U-T-S-O-U-R-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To transfer the management or day-to-day execution of a business function to a third-party service provider.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. They decided to outsource the design and manufacture of the system to a vendor.
  2. Read said maintenance would be outsourced, with "positive discussions" held with two companies.

Etymology

From out- + source.

Synonyms

farm outsubcontract

This word in other languages

tercerizar(Español)externaliser(Français)auslagern(Deutsch)terceirizar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • otusource
  • oustource
  • outosurce
  • outsoruce
  • outsoucre
  • outsourcce
  • outsourec
  • outsourrce
  • outssource
  • outsuorce
  • outtsource
  • uotsource

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

otusource2oustource2outosurce2outsoruce2outsoucre2outsourcce1outsourec2outsourrce1
Edit distance from "outsource"

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 "outsource"?
"outsource" is spelled O-U-T-S-O-U-R-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈaʊtˌsoɹs/.
What does "outsource" mean?
As a verb, "outsource" means: To transfer the management or day-to-day execution of a business function to a third-party service provider.
What are common misspellings of "outsource"?
Common misspellings include "otusource", "oustource", "outosurce", "outsoruce", "outsoucre". The correct spelling is "outsource".
How do you pronounce "outsource"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "outsource" is /ˈaʊtˌsoɹs/. 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 "outsource"?
From out- + source. 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 "outsource", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

playmaker#32,123Mogadishu#32,086minefield#32,083printable#32,132

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

necrosis12 variantsprodigal12 variantslakeland12 variantsRohingya12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list