label

/ˈleɪ.bəl/

//ˈleɪ.bəl// noun

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

"label" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“label” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,436. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,436
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small ticket or sign giving information about something to which it is attached or intended to be attached.

Corpus desk

Index EN-label · label · English

label · rank #3,436 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,436
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Iraq

Nearest frequency peer: Iraq (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “label”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “label” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

label vs lel
60% similar
label vs late
60% similar
label vs lake
60% similar

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

Key facts for label
PropertyValue
Headwordlabel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈleɪ.bəl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#3,436
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “label” 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).labellands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Iraq” (#3,435), “Liverpool” (#3,437), “iPhone” (#3,434). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around label (IPA /ˈleɪ.bəl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #3,436 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 13 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for label, with forms such as "albel", "labbel", and "labell". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "lel", "late", "lake", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English label (“narrow band, strip of cloth”), from Old French label, lambel (Modern French lambeau), from Frankish *lappā (“torn piece of cloth”), from Proto-Germanic *lappǭ, *lappô (“cloth stuff, rag, scraps, flap, dewlap, lobe, rabbit ear”), … The correct English form is label, spelled L-A-B-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small ticket or sign giving information about something to which it is attached or intended to be attached.
  2. 2
    A name given to something or someone to categorise them as part of a particular social group.
  3. 3
    A company that sells records.
  4. 4
    A user-defined alias for a numerical designation, the reverse of an enumeration.
  5. 5
    A named place in source code that can be jumped to using a GOTO or equivalent construct.
  6. 6
    A charge resembling the strap crossing the horse’s chest from which pendants are hung.
  7. 7
    A tassel.
  8. 8
    A small strip, especially of paper or parchment (or of some material attached to parchment to carry the seal), but also of iron, brass, land, etc.
  9. 9
    A piece of writing added to something, such as a codicil appended to a will.
  10. 10
    A brass rule with sights, formerly used with a circumferentor to take altitudes.
  11. 11
    The projecting moulding by the sides, and over the tops, of openings in mediaeval architecture.
  12. 12
    In mediaeval and later art, a representation of a band or scroll containing an inscription.
  13. 13
    A non-interactive control or widget displaying text, often used to describe the purpose of another control.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how label appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. We laughed at her because the label was still on her new sweater.
  2. The label says this silk scarf should not be washed in the washing machine.

Etymology

From Middle English label (“narrow band, strip of cloth”), from Old French label, lambel (Modern French lambeau), from Frankish *lappā (“torn piece of cloth”), from Proto-Germanic *lappǭ, *lappô (“cloth stuff, rag, scraps, flap, dewlap, lobe, rabbit ear”), from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“blade”). Cognate with Old High German lappa (“rag, piece of cloth”), Old English læppa (“skirt, flap of a garment”). More at lap.

This word in other languages

etiqueta(Español)étiquette(Français)Etikett(Deutsch)etiqueta(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • albel
  • labbel
  • labell
  • lable
  • laebl
  • lbael
  • llabel

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

albel2labbel1labell1lable2laebl2lbael2llabel1
Edit distance from "label"

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 "label"?
"label" is spelled L-A-B-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈleɪ.bəl/.
What does "label" mean?
As a noun, "label" means: A small ticket or sign giving information about something to which it is attached or intended to be attached.
What words are commonly confused with "label"?
"label" is commonly confused with "lel", "late", "lake". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "label"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "label" is /ˈleɪ.bəl/. 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 "label"?
From Middle English label (“narrow band, strip of cloth”), from Old French label, lambel (Modern French lambeau), from Frankish *lappā (“torn piece of cloth”), from Proto-Germanic *lappǭ, *lappô (“cloth stuff, rag, scraps, flap, dewlap, lobe, rabb... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "label", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

naked#3,439opens#3,441pitch#3,444pizza#3,445

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

horror7 variantsplain7 variantsavenue7 variantsanger7 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "label". Here's where to go from here.

  • "label" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "lel". View pair
  • 7 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #3,436 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "L" letter cohort. L–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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