washout
wash·out/ˈwɔʃˌaʊt/noun
washout is spelled W-A-S-H-O-U-T: 7 letters and 2 syllables (wash·out). It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 51,738th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, washout means “An act of washing or cleaning the inside of something” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of washout is washouts.
How many letters and syllables are in washout?
| Letters | 7: W-A-S-H-O-U-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: wash·out |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 51,738th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is washout?
Washout appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 51,738th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce washout?
- UK /ˈwɒʃaʊt/
- US /ˈwɔʃˌaʊt/
- US /ˈwɑʃ-/
Washout has 2 syllables, split wash·out in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-washout.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with washout
Also written: wash-out (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with washout?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as washout (/ɔʃaʊt/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: outwash.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of washout
- washouts plural
- wash-out
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does washout mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An act of washing or cleaning the inside of something.
- 2
An appliance designed to wash out the inside of something.
The cistern was fitted with washouts and air-valves.
- 3
The erosion of a relatively soft surface by a sudden gush of water; also, a channel produced by this action.
- 4
A breach in a railway or road caused by flooding.
- 5
slangA sporting fixture or other event that cannot be completed because of rain.
- 6
slangAn overwhelming victory; a landslide.
- 7
slangA total failure; a disappointment.
- 8
slangAn unsuccessful person.
As an actor he was a complete washout, so he went back to accounting.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Washout in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Auswaschung |
| Spanish | derrama |
| French | raté |
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 washout come from?
Deverbal from wash out.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).