something like that

pron

"something-like-that" is a 17-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“something like that” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a pronoun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
19
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An intentionally vague thing, used in answers to leading questions which the speaker wishes to deflect or evade.

Key facts for something like that
PropertyValue
Headwordsomething like that
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPronoun
Letters19
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “something like that” sits in English frequency

something like that 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 something like that is 19 letters long, classified as a pronoun. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

something like that has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From something + like + that. The correct English form is something like that, spelled S-O-M-E-T-H-I-N-G- -L-I-K-E- -T-H-A-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    An intentionally vague thing, used in answers to leading questions which the speaker wishes to deflect or evade.
  2. 2
    Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see something, like, that.

Etymology

From something + like + that.

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 "something like that"?
"something like that" is spelled S-O-M-E-T-H-I-N-G- -L-I-K-E- -T-H-A-T.
What does "something like that" mean?
As a pronoun, "something like that" means: An intentionally vague thing, used in answers to leading questions which the speaker wishes to deflect or evade.
What is the origin of the word "something like that"?
From something + like + that. 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 “something like that”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-O-M-E-T-H-I-N-G- -L-I-K-E- -T-H-A-T - 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