ladylike

/ˈleɪ.di.laɪ̯k/

//ˈleɪ.di.laɪ̯k// adj

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

"ladylike" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ladylike” is uncommon English (frequency #55,545 among 2,297 “L” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,545
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of or related to the appearance or behaviour of a well-mannered woman.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ladylike · ladylike · English

ladylike · rank #55,545 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #55,545
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Kurd

Nearest frequency peer: Kurd (-2 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 “ladylike”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for ladylike
PropertyValue
Headwordladylike
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈleɪ.di.laɪ̯k/
Letters8
Frequency rank#55,545
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “ladylike” 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).ladylikefalls 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: “Kurd” (#55,543), “Kunal” (#55,542), “Lani” (#55,548). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “ladylike” is #55,545. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

ladylike is uncommon English at frequency #55,545 among 2,297 “L” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈleɪ.di.laɪ̯k/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Of or related to the appearance or behaviour of a well-mannered woman.".

Zero misspellings are on record for ladylike in our index, 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: From lady + -like. The correct English form is ladylike, spelled L-A-D-Y-L-I-K-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or related to the appearance or behaviour of a well-mannered woman.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Coniux imperioſa. Ouidius. A ladylike wife that will be obeyed. […] Dura domina, imperioſa. Cic. A rigorous and ladilike dame that will be obeyed.
  2. Is it ladylike to giggle? / Is it ladylike to wink? / Is it ladylike to ride a horse astraddle? / Is it ladylike to wiggle? / Is it ladylike to drink? / Is it ladylike upon the beach to paddle? […]

Etymology

From lady + -like.

Synonyms

ladily

This word in other languages

damenhaft(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 "ladylike"?
"ladylike" is spelled L-A-D-Y-L-I-K-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈleɪ.di.laɪ̯k/.
What does "ladylike" mean?
As an adjective, "ladylike" means: Of or related to the appearance or behaviour of a well-mannered woman.
How do you pronounce "ladylike"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ladylike" is /ˈleɪ.di.laɪ̯k/. 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 "ladylike"?
From lady + -like. 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 "ladylike", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

lobotomy#55,565Jacksons#55,523Italiana#55,521incubate#55,513

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list