laggy

/ˈlæɡi/

//ˈlæɡi// adj

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

The verdict

“laggy” is uncommon English (frequency #74,254 among 16,425 “L” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#74,254
frequency rank, English
16,425
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Having a delayed response to a change in the factors influencing it.

Corpus desk

Index EN-laggy · laggy · English

laggy · rank #74,254 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #74,254
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 16,425
  • PHOTO-FINISH laika

Nearest frequency peer: laika (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “laggy”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “laggy” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026
Key facts for laggy
PropertyValue
Headwordlaggy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈlæɡi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#74,254
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “laggy” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

laggy is uncommon English at frequency #74,254 among 16,425 “L” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈlæɡi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for laggy, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From lag + -y. The correct English form is laggy, spelled L-A-G-G-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having a delayed response to a change in the factors influencing it.
  2. 2
    Tending to lag, or respond slowly because of network latency.

Etymology

From lag + -y.

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "laggy"?
"laggy" is spelled L-A-G-G-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlæɡi/.
What does "laggy" mean?
As an adjective, "laggy" means: Having a delayed response to a change in the factors influencing it.
How do you pronounce "laggy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "laggy" is /ˈlæɡi/. 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 "laggy"?
From lag + -y. 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 "laggy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list