platoon

/pləˈtuːn/

//pləˈtuːn// noun

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

"platoon" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“platoon” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,614 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#14,614
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A unit of thirty to forty soldiers typically commanded by a lieutenant and forming part of a company.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

platoon vs pontoon
71% similar
platoon vs platoons
88% similar
platoon vs Plato
57% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for platoon
PropertyValue
Headwordplatoon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pləˈtuːn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#14,614
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “platoon” 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). platoon lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for platoon is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pləˈtuːn/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,614 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for platoon, with forms such as "lpatoon", "paltoon", and "plaoton". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "pontoon", "platoons", "Plato", 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 obsolete French plauton, variant of peloton, from Middle French pelote + -on. Doublet of peloton. Compare pellet. The correct English form is platoon, spelled P-L-A-T-O-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A unit of thirty to forty soldiers typically commanded by a lieutenant and forming part of a company.
  2. 2
    A subdivision of a fire company, led by a captain or lieutenant.
  3. 3
    A group of self-driving vehicles travelling in a close convoy and communicating electronically with each other.
  4. 4
    A group of children in the platoon grouping education system.

Etymology

From obsolete French plauton, variant of peloton, from Middle French pelote + -on. Doublet of peloton. Compare pellet.

This word in other languages

pelotón(Español)peloton(Français)Zug(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lpatoon,paltoon,plaoton,platon,platono,platoonn,plattoon,pllatoon,pltaoon,pplatoon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lpatoon2paltoon2plaoton2platon1platono2platoonn1plattoon1pllatoon1
Edit distance from "platoon"

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 "platoon"?
"platoon" is spelled P-L-A-T-O-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /pləˈtuːn/.
What does "platoon" mean?
As a noun, "platoon" means: A unit of thirty to forty soldiers typically commanded by a lieutenant and forming part of a company.
What words are commonly confused with "platoon"?
"platoon" is commonly confused with "pontoon", "platoons", "Plato". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "platoon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "platoon" is /pləˈtuːn/. 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 "platoon"?
From obsolete French plauton, variant of peloton, from Middle French pelote + -on. Doublet of peloton. Compare pellet. 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 “platoon”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is P-L-A-T-O-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /pləˈtuːn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “pontoon” - see the side-by-side comparison. platoon vs pontoon
  • 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.

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

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