set off

verb

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

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

The verdict

“set off” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To leave; to set out; to begin a journey or trip.

Key facts for set off
PropertyValue
Headwordset off
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “set off” sits in English frequency

set off falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for set off is 7 letters long, classified as a verb. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for set off, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct English form is set off, spelled S-E-T- -O-F-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    To leave; to set out; to begin a journey or trip.
  2. 2
    To begin; to cause; to initiate.
  3. 3
    To cause to explode, let off.
  4. 4
    To put into an angry mood; to start (a person) ranting or sulking, etc.
  5. 5
    To enhance by emphasizing differences.
  6. 6
    To offset, to compensate for: to reduce the effect of, by having a contrary effect.
  7. 7
    To deface or soil the next sheet; said of the ink on a freshly printed sheet, when another sheet comes in contact with it before it has had time to dry.

This word in other languages

partir(Español)mettre en colère(Français)losmachen(Deutsch)irritar(Português)

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

How do you spell "set off"?
"set off" is spelled S-E-T- -O-F-F.
What does "set off" mean?
As a verb, "set off" means: To leave; to set out; to begin a journey or trip.
What language does "set off" come from?
"set off" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “set off”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-E-T- -O-F-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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