waterline

/ˈwɔːtə(ɹ)laɪn/

//ˈwɔːtə(ɹ)laɪn// noun

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

"waterline" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“waterline” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #45,742. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#45,742
frequency rank, English
12,113
“W” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A line formed by the surface of the water on the hull of a ship when she is afloat; any of a series of short lines marked on the hull to show where the waterline would be under different loadings

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

waterline vs waterside
78% similar
waterline vs watering
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for waterline
PropertyValue
Headwordwaterline
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈwɔːtə(ɹ)laɪn/
Letters9
Frequency rank#45,742
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “waterline” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). waterline lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around waterline (IPA /ˈwɔːtə(ɹ)laɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #45,742 among 12,113 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for waterline, with forms such as "awterline", "waetrline", and "watelrine". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "waterside", "watering", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From water + line. The correct English form is waterline, spelled W-A-T-E-R-L-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A line formed by the surface of the water on the hull of a ship when she is afloat; any of a series of short lines marked on the hull to show where the waterline would be under different loadings
  2. 2
    A horizontal line indicating the shape of an airfoil.
  3. 3
    A line showing where the water has been, usually a line separating dry land and wet areas; a watermark or tidemark.
  4. 4
    The inner rim of the eyelid, just behind the lash line; primarily used in reference to the application of eyeliner.

Etymology

From water + line.

This word in other languages

línea de flotación(Español)ligne de flottaison(Français)Wasserlinie(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: awterline,waetrline,watelrine,waterilne,waterlien,waterlinne,waterlline,waterlnie,waterrline,watreline,watterline,wtaerline,wwaterline

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of waterline - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

awterline2waetrline2watelrine2waterilne2waterlien2waterlinne1waterlline1waterlnie2
Edit distance from "waterline"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "waterline"?
"waterline" is spelled W-A-T-E-R-L-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈwɔːtə(ɹ)laɪn/.
What does "waterline" mean?
As a noun, "waterline" means: A line formed by the surface of the water on the hull of a ship when she is afloat; any of a series of short lines marked on the hull to show where the waterline would be under different loadings
What words are commonly confused with "waterline"?
"waterline" is commonly confused with "waterside", "watering". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "waterline"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "waterline" is /ˈwɔːtə(ɹ)laɪn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "waterline"?
From water + line. 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 “waterline”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-A-T-E-R-L-I-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈwɔːtə(ɹ)laɪn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “waterside” - see the side-by-side comparison. waterline vs waterside
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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