point

/pɔɪnt/

//pɔɪnt// noun

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

"point" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“point” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #265 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#265
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A small dot or mark.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

point vs pot
60% similar
point vs pon
60% similar
point vs post
60% similar

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

Key facts for point
PropertyValue
Headwordpoint
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pɔɪnt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#265
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “point” 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). point 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 point is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /pɔɪnt/. Corpus data places it at rank #265 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 59 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for point, with forms such as "opint", "piont", and "poinnt". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "pot", "pon", "post", 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 Middle English poynt, from Old French point m (“dot; minute amount”), from Latin pūnctum (“a hole punched in; a point, puncture”), substantive use of pūnctus m, perfect passive participle of pungō (“I prick, punch”); alternatively, from Old French poin… The correct English form is point, spelled P-O-I-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small dot or mark.
  2. 2
    A small dot or mark.
  3. 3
    A small dot or mark.
  4. 4
    A small dot or mark.
  5. 5
    A small dot or mark.
  6. 6
    A small dot or mark.
  7. 7
    A small dot or mark.
  8. 8
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  9. 9
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  10. 10
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  11. 11
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  12. 12
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  13. 13
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  14. 14
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  15. 15
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  16. 16
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  17. 17
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  18. 18
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  19. 19
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  20. 20
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  21. 21
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  22. 22
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  23. 23
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  24. 24
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  25. 25
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  26. 26
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  27. 27
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  28. 28
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  29. 29
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  30. 30
    A small discrete division or individual feature of something.
  31. 31
    A sharp extremity.
  32. 32
    A sharp extremity.
  33. 33
    A sharp extremity.
  34. 34
    A sharp extremity.
  35. 35
    A sharp extremity.
  36. 36
    A sharp extremity.
  37. 37
    A sharp extremity.
  38. 38
    A sharp extremity.
  39. 39
    A sharp extremity.
  40. 40
    A sharp extremity.
  41. 41
    A sharp extremity.
  42. 42
    A sharp extremity.
  43. 43
    A sharp extremity.
  44. 44
    A sharp extremity.
  45. 45
    A sharp extremity.
  46. 46
    A sharp extremity.
  47. 47
    A sharp extremity.
  48. 48
    The act of pointing.
  49. 49
    The act of pointing.
  50. 50
    The act of pointing.
  51. 51
    The act of pointing.
  52. 52
    The act of pointing.
  53. 53
    A short piece of cordage used in reefing sails.
  54. 54
    A string or lace used to tie together certain garments.
  55. 55
    Lace worked by the needle.
  56. 56
    In various sports, a position of a certain player, or, by extension, the player occupying that position.
  57. 57
    In various sports, a position of a certain player, or, by extension, the player occupying that position.
  58. 58
    In various sports, a position of a certain player, or, by extension, the player occupying that position.
  59. 59
    In various sports, a position of a certain player, or, by extension, the player occupying that position.

Etymology

From Middle English poynt, from Old French point m (“dot; minute amount”), from Latin pūnctum (“a hole punched in; a point, puncture”), substantive use of pūnctus m, perfect passive participle of pungō (“I prick, punch”); alternatively, from Old French pointe f (“sharp tip”), from Latin pūncta f (past participle), all from Proto-Italic *pungō (“to sting, prick”). Mostly displaced native Middle English ord (“point”), from Old English ord (“point”). Doublet of pointe, ponto, puncto, punctum, punt, and punto.

Synonyms

locationplacepositionspotordmomentordtimeendordtipspotdecimal pointopinionpoint of viewviewviewpointmark

This word in other languages

momento(Español)moment(Français)Punkt(Deutsch)ponto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: opint,piont,poinnt,pointt,poitn,ponit,ppoint

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of point - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

opint2piont2poinnt1pointt1poitn2ponit2ppoint1
Edit distance from "point"

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 "point"?
"point" is spelled P-O-I-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /pɔɪnt/.
What does "point" mean?
As a noun, "point" means: A small dot or mark.
What words are commonly confused with "point"?
"point" is commonly confused with "pot", "pon", "post". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "point"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "point" is /pɔɪnt/. 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 "point"?
From Middle English poynt, from Old French point m (“dot; minute amount”), from Latin pūnctum (“a hole punched in; a point, puncture”), substantive use of pūnctus m, perfect passive participle of pungō (“I prick, punch”); alternatively, from Old F... 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 “point”

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

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