radio silence
/ˈɹeɪ.di.oʊ ˌsaɪ.ləns/
"radio-silence" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“radio silence” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 13
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A status maintained where all fixed or mobile radio stations in an area stop transmitting (sometimes limited to certain frequency bands).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | radio silence |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈɹeɪ.di.oʊ ˌsaɪ.ləns/ |
| Letters | 13 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “radio silence” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
radio silence is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɹeɪ.di.oʊ ˌsaɪ.ləns/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
radio silence doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct English form is radio silence, spelled R-A-D-I-O- -S-I-L-E-N-C-E.
Definition
- 1A status maintained where all fixed or mobile radio stations in an area stop transmitting (sometimes limited to certain frequency bands).
- 2The period of time during which this status exists.
- 3A period of time during which nothing is heard from a person or organization, especially when such communication would normally be expected.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “radio silence”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is R-A-D-I-O- -S-I-L-E-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɹeɪ.di.oʊ ˌsaɪ.ləns/ (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
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.