lacuna

/ləˈk(j)uː.nə/

//ləˈk(j)uː.nə// noun

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

"lacuna" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lacuna” is uncommon English (frequency #65,251 among 2,297 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,251
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small opening; a small pit or depression, especially in bone.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lacuna · lacuna · English

lacuna · rank #65,251 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #65,251
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH lage

Nearest frequency peer: lage (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “lacuna”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “lacuna” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for lacuna
PropertyValue
Headwordlacuna
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ləˈk(j)uː.nə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#65,251
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “lacuna” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).lacunafalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “lage” (#65,252), “Kucinich” (#65,249), “Kron” (#65,248). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lacuna” is #65,251. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

lacuna is uncommon English at frequency #65,251 among 2,297 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ləˈk(j)uː.nə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

lacuna has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin lacūna (“a ditch, pit; a hollow, cavity; a gap, defect”). Doublet of lacune and lagoon. The correct English form is lacuna, spelled L-A-C-U-N-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small opening; a small pit or depression, especially in bone.
  2. 2
    A small opening; a small pit or depression, especially in bone.
  3. 3
    A small blank space; a gap or vacancy; a hiatus.
  4. 4
    A small blank space; a gap or vacancy; a hiatus.
  5. 5
    A small blank space; a gap or vacancy; a hiatus.
  6. 6
    A small blank space; a gap or vacancy; a hiatus.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. "Our young friend makes up for many obvious mental lacunæ by some measure of primitive common sense," remarked Challenger.
  2. Long lacunae in this inscription make interpretation difficult.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin lacūna (“a ditch, pit; a hollow, cavity; a gap, defect”). Doublet of lacune and lagoon.

Synonyms

gaphiatus

This word in other languages

Spalt(Deutsch)

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 "lacuna"?
"lacuna" is spelled L-A-C-U-N-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ləˈk(j)uː.nə/.
What does "lacuna" mean?
As a noun, "lacuna" means: A small opening; a small pit or depression, especially in bone.
How do you pronounce "lacuna"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lacuna" is /ləˈk(j)uː.nə/. 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 "lacuna"?
Learned borrowing from Latin lacūna (“a ditch, pit; a hollow, cavity; a gap, defect”). Doublet of lacune and lagoon. 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 "lacuna", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

leaven#65,258leftie#65,261kismet#65,239kipper#65,237

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list