ladle

/ˈleɪ.dəl/

//ˈleɪ.dəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“ladle” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #43,744. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#43,744
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 deep-bowled spoonlike utensil with a long, usually curved, handle.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ladle · ladle · English

ladle · rank #43,744 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #43,744
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Kunming

Nearest frequency peer: Kunming (-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 “ladle”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “ladle” 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).

ladle vs LDL
0% similar
ladle vs late
60% similar
ladle vs lady
60% similar

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

Key facts for ladle
PropertyValue
Headwordladle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈleɪ.dəl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#43,744
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ladle”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).ladlelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Kunming” (#43,743), “launchpad” (#43,745), “Kronos” (#43,742). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “ladle” is #43,744. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around ladle (IPA /ˈleɪ.dəl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #43,744 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for ladle, with forms such as "aldle", "laddle", and "ladel". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "LDL", "late", "lady", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ladel, from Old English hlædel, derived from Proto-Germanic *hlaþaną (“to load”), from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂- (“to put, lay out”), same source as Lithuanian kloti (“to spread”), equivalent to lade + -le (“agent suffix”). The correct English form is ladle, spelled L-A-D-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A deep-bowled spoonlike utensil with a long, usually curved, handle.
  2. 2
    A container used in a foundry or steel mill to transport and pour out molten metal.
  3. 3
    The float or paddle on a mill wheel.
  4. 4
    An instrument for drawing the charge of a cannon.
  5. 5
    A ring, with a handle or handles fitted to it, for carrying shot.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. When the materials of glass have been kept long in fusion, the mixture casts up the superfluous salt, which the workmen afterwards take off with ladles.
  2. The great guns ranged along the deck — each bound fast by its new breechings — with their linstocks and sponges and ladles and rammers, made no idle show of warlike strength.

Etymology

From Middle English ladel, from Old English hlædel, derived from Proto-Germanic *hlaþaną (“to load”), from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂- (“to put, lay out”), same source as Lithuanian kloti (“to spread”), equivalent to lade + -le (“agent suffix”).

This word in other languages

cucharón(Español)poche(Français)Kelle(Deutsch)concha(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aldle
  • laddle
  • ladel
  • ladlle
  • lalde
  • ldale
  • lladle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aldle2laddle1ladel2ladlle1lalde2ldale2lladle1
Edit distance from "ladle"

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 "ladle"?
"ladle" is spelled L-A-D-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈleɪ.dəl/.
What does "ladle" mean?
As a noun, "ladle" means: A deep-bowled spoonlike utensil with a long, usually curved, handle.
What words are commonly confused with "ladle"?
"ladle" is commonly confused with "LDL", "late", "lady". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ladle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ladle" is /ˈleɪ.dəl/. 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 "ladle"?
From Middle English ladel, from Old English hlædel, derived from Proto-Germanic *hlaþaną (“to load”), from Proto-Indo-European *kleh₂- (“to put, lay out”), same source as Lithuanian kloti (“to spread”), equivalent to lade + -le (“agent suffix”). 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 "ladle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Karel#43,735Malmö#43,772Mbeki#43,778Mensa#43,785

Similar misspelling depth

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

Nabil7 variantshaggis7 variantsgavel7 variantsphage7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list