overlong

adj

"overlong" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“overlong” is uncommon English (frequency #81,663 among 1,431 “O” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#81,663
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Too long; overly long.

Corpus desk

Index EN-overlong · overlong · English

overlong · rank #81,663 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #81,663
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH overstay

Nearest frequency peer: overstay (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “overlong”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “overlong” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for overlong
PropertyValue
Headwordoverlong
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters8
Frequency rank#81,663
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “overlong” 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).overlong lands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

overlong is uncommon English at frequency #81,663 among 1,431 “O” headwords, classed as anadjective. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Too long; overly long.".

No misspelling variants are generated for overlong in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From over- + long. The correct English form is overlong, spelled O-V-E-R-L-O-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Too long; overly long.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. O, hold me not with silence over-long!
  2. As the Island Mindanao lies very convenient for Trade, so considering its distance, the way thither may not be over long and tiresome.

Etymology

From over- + long.

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "overlong"?
"overlong" is spelled O-V-E-R-L-O-N-G.
What does "overlong" mean?
As an adjective, "overlong" means: Too long; overly long.
What is the origin of the word "overlong"?
From over- + long. 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 "overlong", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

What to do next

You've looked up "overlong". Here's where to go from here.

  • Usage frequency rank #81,663 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "O" letter cohort. O–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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