turn off

verb

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

"turn-off" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“turn 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
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To dismiss; to fire.

Key facts for turn off
PropertyValue
Headwordturn off
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “turn off” sits in English frequency

turn 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 turn off is 8 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 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for turn off in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct English form is turn off, spelled T-U-R-N- -O-F-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    To dismiss; to fire.
  2. 2
    To power down, to switch off, to put out of operation, to deactivate (an appliance, light, mechanism, functionality etc.).
  3. 3
    To become deactivated; to become powered down.
  4. 4
    To rotate a tap or valve so as to interrupt the outflow of liquid or gas.
  5. 5
    To repulse, disgust, or discourage (someone).
  6. 6
    To leave a road; to exit.
  7. 7
    To turn out; to produce.
  8. 8
    To execute by hanging.

Synonyms

shut offswitch offshut downcut offcutdeactivatedisableshut off

Antonyms

turn on

This word in other languages

apagar(Español)éteindre(Français)ausschalten(Deutsch)desligar(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 "turn off"?
"turn off" is spelled T-U-R-N- -O-F-F.
What does "turn off" mean?
As a verb, "turn off" means: To dismiss; to fire.
What language does "turn off" come from?
"turn 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 “turn off”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-U-R-N- -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