language

/ˈlæŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/

//ˈlæŋɡwɪd͡ʒ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“language” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #831. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#831
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A body of words, and set of methods of combining them (called a grammar), understood by a community and used as a form of communication.

Corpus desk

Index EN-language · language · English

language · rank #831 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-CORE #831
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH itself

Nearest frequency peer: itself (-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 “language”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “language” 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).

language vs languages
89% similar

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

Key facts for language
PropertyValue
Headwordlanguage
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlæŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#831
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “language”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).languagelands 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 “itself” (#830), “lord” (#832), “involved” (#829). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “language” is #831. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around language (IPA /ˈlæŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #831 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for language, with forms such as "alnguage", "lagnuage", and "langauge". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "languages", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English langage, language, from Old French language, from Vulgar Latin *linguāticum, from Latin lingua (“tongue, speech, language”), from Old Latin dingua (“tongue”), from Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s (“tongue, speech, language”). Doublet of … The correct English form is language, spelled L-A-N-G-U-A-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A body of words, and set of methods of combining them (called a grammar), understood by a community and used as a form of communication.
  2. 2
    The ability to communicate using words.
  3. 3
    A sublanguage: the slang of a particular community or jargon of a particular specialist field.
  4. 4
    The specific wording or style of a text, such as a law or a contract.
  5. 5
    The expression of thought (the communication of meaning) in a specified way; that which communicates something, as language does.
  6. 6
    A body of sounds, signs or signals by which animals communicate, and by which plants are sometimes also thought to communicate.
  7. 7
    A computer language; a machine language.
  8. 8
    A manner of expression.
  9. 9
    The particular words used in a speech or a passage of text.
  10. 10
    Profanity.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The English and German languages are both members of the West Germanic language family.
  2. Deaf and mute people communicate using sign language.

Etymology

From Middle English langage, language, from Old French language, from Vulgar Latin *linguāticum, from Latin lingua (“tongue, speech, language”), from Old Latin dingua (“tongue”), from Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s (“tongue, speech, language”). Doublet of langaj. Displaced native Old English ġeþēode.

Synonyms

jargoncomputer languageprogramming languagemachine languagewordinglanguageleidlingospeechtongue

This word in other languages

lengua(Español)langue(Français)Sprache(Deutsch)idioma(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • alnguage
  • lagnuage
  • langauge
  • langguage
  • languaeg
  • languagge
  • langugae
  • lannguage
  • lanugage
  • llanguage
  • lnaguage

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

alnguage2lagnuage2langauge2langguage1languaeg2languagge1langugae2lannguage1
Edit distance from "language"

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 "language"?
"language" is spelled L-A-N-G-U-A-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlæŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/.
What does "language" mean?
As a noun, "language" means: A body of words, and set of methods of combining them (called a grammar), understood by a community and used as a form of communication.
What words are commonly confused with "language"?
"language" is commonly confused with "languages". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "language"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "language" is /ˈlæŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/. 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 "language"?
From Middle English langage, language, from Old French language, from Vulgar Latin *linguāticum, from Latin lingua (“tongue, speech, language”), from Old Latin dingua (“tongue”), from Proto-Indo-European *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s (“tongue, speech, language”). D... 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 "language", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

involved#829November#833economic#827complete#825

Similar misspelling depth

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

perhaps11 variantsbrother11 variantscontinue11 variantsscience11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list