Lafayette

/ˌlæfiːˈɛt/

//ˌlæfiːˈɛt// name

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

"lafayette" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Lafayette” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,579. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,579
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette (1757–1834), a French aristocrat who is considered a national hero in both France and the United States for his participation in the French and American rev...

Corpus desk

Index EN-lafayette · Lafayette · English

Lafayette · rank #14,579 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,579
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH KS

Nearest frequency peer: KS (-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 “Lafayette”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “Lafayette” 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
Key facts for Lafayette
PropertyValue
HeadwordLafayette
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˌlæfiːˈɛt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#14,579
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “Lafayette”

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).Lafayettelands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “KS” (#14,578), “LC” (#14,580), “Kensington” (#14,577). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “Lafayette” is #14,579. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around Lafayette (IPA /ˌlæfiːˈɛt/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #14,579 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 17 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for Lafayette, with forms such as "alfayette", "laafyette", and "lafaeytte". 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. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: French surname from Occitan, "the little beech tree". The correct English form is Lafayette, spelled L-A-F-A-Y-E-T-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette (1757–1834), a French aristocrat who is considered a national hero in both France and the United States for his participation in the French and American revolutions.
  2. 2
    A number of places in the United States named for the Marquis de La Fayette:
  3. 3
    A number of places in the United States named for the Marquis de La Fayette:
  4. 4
    A number of places in the United States named for the Marquis de La Fayette:
  5. 5
    A number of places in the United States named for the Marquis de La Fayette:
  6. 6
    A number of places in the United States named for the Marquis de La Fayette:
  7. 7
    A number of places in the United States named for the Marquis de La Fayette:
  8. 8
    A number of places in the United States named for the Marquis de La Fayette:
  9. 9
    A number of places in the United States named for the Marquis de La Fayette:
  10. 10
    A number of places in the United States named for the Marquis de La Fayette:
  11. 11
    A number of places in the United States named for the Marquis de La Fayette:
  12. 12
    A number of places in the United States named for the Marquis de La Fayette:
  13. 13
    A number of places in the United States named for the Marquis de La Fayette:
  14. 14
    A number of places in the United States named for the Marquis de La Fayette:
  15. 15
    A number of places in the United States named for the Marquis de La Fayette:
  16. 16
    A surname from French.
  17. 17
    A male given name transferred from the surname, originally in honor of the Marquis.

Etymology

French surname from Occitan, "the little beech tree".

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • alfayette
  • laafyette
  • lafaeytte
  • lafayete
  • lafayetet
  • lafaytete
  • lafayyette
  • laffayette
  • lafyaette
  • lfaayette
  • llafayette

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Lafayette - 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.

alfayette2laafyette2lafaeytte2lafayete1lafayetet2lafaytete2lafayyette1laffayette1
Edit distance from "Lafayette"

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 "Lafayette"?
"Lafayette" is spelled L-A-F-A-Y-E-T-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌlæfiːˈɛt/.
What does "Lafayette" mean?
As a proper noun, "Lafayette" means: Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette (1757–1834), a French aristocrat who is considered a national hero in both France and the United States for his participation in the French and American rev...
What are common misspellings of "Lafayette"?
Common misspellings include "alfayette", "laafyette", "lafaeytte", "lafayete", "lafayetet". The correct spelling is "Lafayette".
How do you pronounce "Lafayette"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Lafayette" is /ˌlæfiːˈɛt/. 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 "Lafayette"?
French surname from Occitan, "the little beech tree". 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 "Lafayette", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

intensely#14,572McCartney#14,586Middleton#14,588inhabited#14,566

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

mediocre11 variantsnicotine11 variantsoverrated11 variantsrecreate11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list