# lactose

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈlæk.təʊs/ · frequency rank #24,493

## Definitions
1. The disaccharide sugar of milk and dairy products, C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁, a product of glucose and galactose used as a food and in medicinal compounds.

## Etymology
Borrowed from French lactose, from Latin lac (“milk”) + -ose (derivation of glucose). Coined by French chemist Marcelin Berthelot.

## Easily confused with
- **lactate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lactate-vs-lactose)
- **lacrosse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lacrosse-vs-lactose)

## Common misspellings (10)
`alctose`, `lacctose`, `lacotse`, `lactoes`, `lactosse`, `lactsoe`, `lacttose`, `latcose`, `lcatose`, `llactose`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/lactose