Waterloo

\wa.tɛʁ.lo\

/\wa.tɛʁ.lo\/ name

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

The verdict

“Waterloo” has 11 generated spelling variants in the French index at frequency #19,189. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,189
frequency rank, French
27,995
“W” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Commune et ville de la province du Brabant wallon de la région wallonne de Belgique.

Key facts for Waterloo
PropertyValue
HeadwordWaterloo
LanguageFrench
Part of speechProper noun
IPA\wa.tɛʁ.lo\
Letters8
Frequency rank#19,189
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Waterloo” sits in French 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 \wa.tɛʁ.lo\), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #19,189 among 27,995 “W” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 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 variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is Waterloo, spelled W-A-T-E-R-L-O-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Commune et ville de la province du Brabant wallon de la région wallonne de Belgique.
  2. 2
    Bataille qui s’y déroula, entre les armées napoléoniennes et une coalition de pays européens, le 18 juin 1815.
  3. 3
    Défaite cuisante et définitive.
  4. 4
    Ville canadienne du Québec située dans la MRC de La Haute-Yamaska.
  5. 5
    Gare ferroviaire et station du métro de Londres.
  6. 6
    Hameau du Pays de Galles situé dans l’autorité unitaire de Caerphilly.

This word in other languages

Waterloo(English)

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 French 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 \wa.tɛʁ.lo\.
What does "Waterloo" mean?
As a proper noun, "Waterloo" means: Commune et ville de la province du Brabant wallon de la région wallonne de Belgique.
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 \wa.tɛʁ.lo\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Waterloo" come from?
"Waterloo" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 French spelling is W-A-T-E-R-L-O-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \wa.tɛʁ.lo\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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