saloon

/səˈlun/

//səˈlun// noun

"saloon" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“saloon” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,581 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#16,581
frequency rank, English
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A tavern, especially in an American Old West setting.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

saloon vs soon
67% similar
saloon vs spoon
67% similar
saloon vs Saxon
50% similar

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

Key facts for saloon
PropertyValue
Headwordsaloon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/səˈlun/
Letters6
Frequency rank#16,581
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “saloon” 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). saloon 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 saloon is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /səˈlun/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,581 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 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 saloon, with forms such as "asloon", "salloon", and "salono". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 19 confusable-pair relationships, "soon", "spoon", "Saxon", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Occitan salon, French salon, either augmentative of salle (“room”), or borrowed from Italian salone (“hall”), augmentative form of sala, salla (“room”); in both cases borrowed from a Germanic source such as Old High German sal (“house, hall”), from Pro… The correct English form is saloon, spelled S-A-L-O-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A tavern, especially in an American Old West setting.
  2. 2
    A lounge bar in an English public house, contrasted with the public bar.
  3. 3
    A car with a boot or trunk compartment separate from the driver/passenger space and with seating and doors for more than two people.
  4. 4
    The cabin area of a boat or yacht devoted to seated relaxation, often combined with dining table.
  5. 5
    the part of a rail carriage or multiple unit containing seating for passengers.
  6. 6
    Dated form of salon (“living room in a house”).
  7. 7
    A barbershop (store offering haircuts).

Etymology

From Occitan salon, French salon, either augmentative of salle (“room”), or borrowed from Italian salone (“hall”), augmentative form of sala, salla (“room”); in both cases borrowed from a Germanic source such as Old High German sal (“house, hall”), from Proto-Germanic *salą, from Proto-Indo-European *sel- (“dwelling”). Doublet of salon.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: asloon,salloon,salono,saloonn,saolon,slaoon,ssaloon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of saloon - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

asloon2salloon1salono2saloonn1saolon2slaoon2ssaloon1
Edit distance from "saloon"

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 "saloon"?
"saloon" is spelled S-A-L-O-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /səˈlun/.
What does "saloon" mean?
As a noun, "saloon" means: A tavern, especially in an American Old West setting.
What words are commonly confused with "saloon"?
"saloon" is commonly confused with "soon", "spoon", "Saxon". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "saloon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "saloon" is /səˈlun/. 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 "saloon"?
From Occitan salon, French salon, either augmentative of salle (“room”), or borrowed from Italian salone (“hall”), augmentative form of sala, salla (“room”); in both cases borrowed from a Germanic source such as Old High German sal (“house, hall”)... 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 “saloon”

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

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