ladder

/ˈlad.ə/

//ˈlad.ə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“ladder” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,804. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,804
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 frame, usually portable, of wood, metal, or rope, used for ascent and descent, consisting of two side pieces to which are fastened rungs (cross strips or rounds acting as steps).

Corpus desk

Index EN-ladder · ladder · English

ladder · rank #6,804 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,804
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Lloyd

Nearest frequency peer: Lloyd (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “ladder”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “ladder” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

ladder vs later
67% similar
ladder vs layer
67% similar
ladder vs laser
67% similar

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

Key facts for ladder
PropertyValue
Headwordladder
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlad.ə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,804
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ladder”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).ladderlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Lloyd” (#6,805), “kidney” (#6,802), “lobby” (#6,806). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “ladder” is #6,804. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around ladder (IPA /ˈlad.ə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,804 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for ladder, with forms such as "aldder", "ladderr", and "laddre". 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, "later", "layer", "laser", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English ladder, laddre; from Old English hlǣder, from Proto-West Germanic *hlaidriju, from Proto-Germanic *hlaidrijō, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlóydʰrom, from *ḱley- (“to lean”). Compare Scots ledder, North Frisian ladder, Saterland F… The correct English form is ladder, spelled L-A-D-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A frame, usually portable, of wood, metal, or rope, used for ascent and descent, consisting of two side pieces to which are fastened rungs (cross strips or rounds acting as steps).
  2. 2
    A series of stages by which one progresses to a better position.
  3. 3
    The hierarchy or ranking system within an organization, such as the corporate ladder.
  4. 4
    A length of unravelled fabric in a knitted garment, especially in nylon stockings; a run.
  5. 5
    A sequence of moves following a zigzag pattern and ultimately leading to the capture of the attacked stones.
  6. 6
    A league table.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The form of a man was seen to enter, and both the females rushed up the ladder, as if equally afraid of the consequences. The stranger secured the door, and first examining the lower room with great care, he cautiously ascended the ladder.
  2. Ladders are heavy and unwieldy. Handle them properly to avoid damaging property and to make sure you don't injure yourself. Carry a ladder upright, not slung across your shoulder. Hold the ladder vertically, bend your knees slightly, then rock the ladder back against your shoulder. Grip one rung lower down while you support the ladder at head height with…

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English ladder, laddre; from Old English hlǣder, from Proto-West Germanic *hlaidriju, from Proto-Germanic *hlaidrijō, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlóydʰrom, from *ḱley- (“to lean”). Compare Scots ledder, North Frisian ladder, Saterland Frisian Laadere, West Frisian ljedder, Dutch ladder, German Leiter; also Old Irish clithar (“hedge”), and Umbrian 𐌊𐌋𐌄𐌈𐌓𐌀𐌌 (kleθram, “stretcher”). See lean, which is related to lid. Further cognates include Ashkun istrī, Kamkata-viri c̣ik, Prasuni čik, čix; Waigali c̣iř, Sanskrit श्रिति (śrití).

This word in other languages

escalera(Español)échelle(Français)Leiter(Deutsch)escada(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aldder
  • ladderr
  • laddre
  • ladedr
  • lader
  • ldader
  • lladder

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ladder - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

aldder2ladderr1laddre2ladedr2lader1ldader2lladder1
Edit distance from "ladder"

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 "ladder"?
"ladder" is spelled L-A-D-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlad.ə/.
What does "ladder" mean?
As a noun, "ladder" means: A frame, usually portable, of wood, metal, or rope, used for ascent and descent, consisting of two side pieces to which are fastened rungs (cross strips or rounds acting as steps).
What words are commonly confused with "ladder"?
"ladder" is commonly confused with "later", "layer", "laser". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ladder"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ladder" is /ˈlad.ə/. 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 "ladder"?
Inherited from Middle English ladder, laddre; from Old English hlǣder, from Proto-West Germanic *hlaidriju, from Proto-Germanic *hlaidrijō, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱlóydʰrom, from *ḱley- (“to lean”). Compare Scots ledder, North Frisian ladder, S... 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 "ladder", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

kidney#6,802insist#6,798modest#6,811motors#6,812

Similar misspelling depth

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

orbit7 variantselect7 variantsdiffer7 variantsbuyer7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list