languor
/ˈlæŋɡə/
"languor" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“languor” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A state of the body or mind caused by exhaustion or disease and characterized by a languid or weary feeling; lassitude; (countable) an instance of this.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | languor |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈlæŋɡə/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “languor” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for languor is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈlæŋɡə/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No generated misspelling entries exist for languor in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is derived from Middle English langore, langour (“disease, illness; misery, sadness; suffering; condition or event causing sadness, suffering, etc.; unwholesomeness; idleness, inertia; depression, self-disgust; expression of grief”) [and other form… The correct English form is languor, spelled L-A-N-G-U-O-R.
Definition
- 1A state of the body or mind caused by exhaustion or disease and characterized by a languid or weary feeling; lassitude; (countable) an instance of this.
- 2Melancholy caused by lovesickness, sadness, etc.; (countable) an instance of this.
- 3Dullness, sluggishness; lack of vigour; stagnation.
- 4Listless indolence or inactivity, especially if enjoyable or relaxing; dreaminess; (countable) an instance of this.
- 5Heavy humidity and stillness of the air.
- 6Sorrow; suffering; also, enfeebling disease or illness; (countable, obsolete) an instance of this.
Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English langore, langour (“disease, illness; misery, sadness; suffering; condition or event causing sadness, suffering, etc.; unwholesomeness; idleness, inertia; depression, self-disgust; expression of grief”) [and other forms], from Middle French languer, langueur, langour, and Anglo-Norman langor, langour, langur, Old French langueur, languour (“disease, illness; suffering; emotional fatigue, sadness; listlessness; stagnation”) (modern French langueur (“languor”)), and from their etymon Latin languor (“faintness, feebleness; languor; apathy”), from languēre, the present active infinitive of langueō (“to feel faint or weak; (figurative) to be idle, inactive; to be listless”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leg-, *(s)leh₁g-. The English word is cognate with Catalan llangor, Italian languore (“faintness, weakness; languor”), langore (obsolete), Old Occitan langor (modern Occitan langor), Portuguese langor, languor (obsolete), Spanish langor.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “languor”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is L-A-N-G-U-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈlæŋɡə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.