lieutenant

[lɛfˈtɛnənt]

/[lɛfˈtɛnənt]/ noun

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

The verdict

“lieutenant” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #14,122 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#14,122
frequency rank, German
10
letters
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - der Dienstgrad zwischen captain (Hauptmann) und second lieutenant (Unterleutnant); in den USA wird es auch first lieutenant genannt; der Leutnant, der Oberleutnant

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lieutenant vs Leutnant
70% similar

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

Key facts for lieutenant
PropertyValue
Headwordlieutenant
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[lɛfˈtɛnənt]
Letters10
Frequency rank#14,122
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lieutenant” sits in German 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). lieutenant lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for lieutenant is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [lɛfˈtɛnənt]. Corpus data places it at rank #14,122 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for lieutenant, with forms such as "ileutenant", "leiutenant", and "lietuenant". 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. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Leutnant", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct German form is lieutenant, spelled L-I-E-U-T-E-N-A-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    der Dienstgrad zwischen captain (Hauptmann) und second lieutenant (Unterleutnant); in den USA wird es auch first lieutenant genannt; der Leutnant, der Oberleutnant
  2. 2
    (inkorrekt in Britisch) kurz für second lieutenant, der Leutnant, der Unterleutnant
  3. 3
    Marine:, der Dienstgrad zwischen lieutenant commander und sub-lieutenant; der Kapitänleutnant
  4. 4
    der Polizeihauptwachtmeister, die Polizeihauptwachtmeisterin, der Polizeioberinspektor, die Polizeioberinspektorin

Synonyms

first lieutenantsecond lieutenant

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ileutenant,leiutenant,lietuenant,lieuetnant,lieuteannt,lieutenannt,lieutenantt,lieutenatn,lieutennant,lieutennat,lieutneant,lieuttenant,liuetenant,llieutenant

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of lieutenant - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ileutenant2leiutenant2lietuenant2lieuetnant2lieuteannt2lieutenannt1lieutenantt1lieutenatn2
Edit distance from "lieutenant"

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 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "lieutenant"?
"lieutenant" is spelled L-I-E-U-T-E-N-A-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is [lɛfˈtɛnənt].
What does "lieutenant" mean?
As a noun, "lieutenant" means: der Dienstgrad zwischen captain (Hauptmann) und second lieutenant (Unterleutnant); in den USA wird es auch first lieutenant genannt; der Leutnant, der Oberleutnant
What words are commonly confused with "lieutenant"?
"lieutenant" is commonly confused with "Leutnant". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lieutenant"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lieutenant" is [lɛfˈtɛnənt]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "lieutenant" come from?
"lieutenant" is a German 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 “lieutenant”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is L-I-E-U-T-E-N-A-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [lɛfˈtɛnənt] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Leutnant” - see the side-by-side comparison. lieutenant vs Leutnant
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German 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