Waterloo

/ˌwɔːtəˈluː/

//ˌwɔːtəˈluː// name

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

"waterloo" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Waterloo” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,668. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,668
frequency rank, English
12,113
“W” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A village in Walloon Brabant, Belgium; the site of a major military battle in 1815.

Key facts for Waterloo
PropertyValue
HeadwordWaterloo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˌwɔːtəˈluː/
Letters8
Frequency rank#14,668
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Waterloo” 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). Waterloo 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 11 spelling variants around Waterloo (IPA /ˌwɔːtəˈluː/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #14,668 among 12,113 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 42 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for Waterloo, with forms such as "awterloo", "waetrloo", and "watelroo". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle Dutch, composed of water (“water”) + loo (“sacred wood, forest”). More at water, lea. cf. German Loh. Most places in English-speaking countries are named for the battle. The correct English form is Waterloo, spelled W-A-T-E-R-L-O-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A village in Walloon Brabant, Belgium; the site of a major military battle in 1815.
  2. 2
    A battle fought at Waterloo, Belgium on June 18, 1815, resulting in the epic, final defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte.
  3. 3
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  4. 4
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  5. 5
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  6. 6
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  7. 7
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  8. 8
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  9. 9
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  10. 10
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  11. 11
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  12. 12
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  13. 13
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  14. 14
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  15. 15
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  16. 16
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  17. 17
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  18. 18
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  19. 19
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  20. 20
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  21. 21
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  22. 22
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  23. 23
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  24. 24
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  25. 25
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  26. 26
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  27. 27
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  28. 28
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  29. 29
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  30. 30
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  31. 31
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  32. 32
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  33. 33
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  34. 34
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  35. 35
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  36. 36
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  37. 37
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  38. 38
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  39. 39
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  40. 40
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  41. 41
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.
  42. 42
    The name of any of several villages, towns, and cities around the world.

Etymology

From Middle Dutch, composed of water (“water”) + loo (“sacred wood, forest”). More at water, lea. cf. German Loh. Most places in English-speaking countries are named for the battle.

Synonyms

Battle of Waterloo

This word in other languages

Waterloo(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • awterloo
  • waetrloo
  • watelroo
  • waterlloo
  • waterlo
  • waterolo
  • waterrloo
  • watreloo
  • watterloo
  • wtaerloo
  • wwaterloo

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Waterloo - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

awterloo2waetrloo2watelroo2waterlloo1waterlo1waterolo2waterrloo1watreloo2
Edit distance from "Waterloo"

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 "Waterloo"?
"Waterloo" is spelled W-A-T-E-R-L-O-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌwɔːtəˈluː/.
What does "Waterloo" mean?
As a proper noun, "Waterloo" means: A village in Walloon Brabant, Belgium; the site of a major military battle in 1815.
What are common misspellings of "Waterloo"?
Common misspellings include "awterloo", "waetrloo", "watelroo", "waterlloo", "waterlo". The correct spelling is "Waterloo".
How do you pronounce "Waterloo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Waterloo" is /ˌwɔːtəˈluː/. 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 "Waterloo"?
From Middle Dutch, composed of water (“water”) + loo (“sacred wood, forest”). More at water, lea. cf. German Loh. Most places in English-speaking countries are named for the battle. 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 “Waterloo”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is W-A-T-E-R-L-O-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌwɔːtəˈluː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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