time out
/ˈtaɪm.aʊt/interjection, noun, verb
time out is spelled T-I-M-E-O-U-T: 7 letters and 2 syllables. People search “time-out vs timeout” about 20 times a month (Google, United States). As an interjection, time out means “To call for a time-out” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in time out?
| Letters | 7: T-I-M-E-O-U-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | a phrase: the frequency list counts single words |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How do you pronounce time out?
- UK /ˈtaɪm.aʊt/
- UK /ˈtaɪm ˈaʊt/
Time out has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-time-out.ogg, En-au-time_out.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with time out
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Also written: timeout (one word or two).
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of time out
- time-outs plural
- timeout
- time outs plural
- times out present, singular, he/she/it
- timing out participle, present
- timed out participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does time out mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
interjection
- 1
To call for a time-out.
- 2
To call for a suspension of activity or conversation.
- 3
Used to announce the end of time in and the beginning of time out.
noun
- 1
Alternative spelling of time-out.
- 2
The period of a live action roleplaying event when players are out of character.
- 3
The point at which such a period begins.
verb
- 1
To end (an incomplete task) after a time limit.
- 2
Of a task, to be terminated because it was not completed before a time limit.
The download timed out because your Internet connection was disrupted.
- 3
To record the end of one's day or shift at work.
- 4
To declare (the batsman) out for having taken longer than two minutes to appear on the field.
noun
- 1
A short break in the action of a sport, for substitution, consultation, etc.
We're being beaten! We need a time-out!
- 2
A break from a tense, heated or stressful situation (often enforced, sometimes as a disciplinary measure); a cooling-off period.
I'm going to take a brief time-out from this job.
- 3
informalA perhaps temporary break in a relationship.
- 4
The abortion of an incomplete task after a time limit considered long enough for it to end normally.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Time out in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | arrêt de jeu, temps mort , time out , arrêter, mettre fin à, interrompre |
| German | Auszeit, Timeout |
| Portuguese | intervalo , tempo |
| Spanish | tiempo muerto, tiempo fuera , chepi m chepa, taima, taime , chepi |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does time out come from?
From time + out.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).