lantern

/ˈlæntən/

//ˈlæntən// noun

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

"lantern" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lantern” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,804. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,804
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A case of translucent or transparent material made to protect a flame, or light, used to illuminate its surroundings.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lantern · lantern · English

lantern · rank #12,804 · 11 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,804
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH knockout

Nearest frequency peer: knockout (-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 “lantern”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lantern” 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).

lantern vs later
71% similar
lantern vs latter
71% similar
lantern vs lander
71% similar

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

Key facts for lantern
PropertyValue
Headwordlantern
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlæntən/
Letters7
Frequency rank#12,804
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lantern”

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).lanternlands 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 “knockout” (#12,803), “linen” (#12,805), “lookout” (#12,806). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lantern” is #12,804. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around lantern (IPA /ˈlæntən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,804 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 lantern, with forms such as "alntern", "lanetrn", and "lanntern". 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. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "later", "latter", "lander", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English lanterne (13th century), via Old French lanterne from Latin lanterna (“lantern”), itself a corruption of Ancient Greek λαμπτήρ (lamptḗr, “torch”) (see lamp, λάμπω (lámpō)) by influence of Latin lucerna (“lamp”). The spelling lanthorn was… The correct English form is lantern, spelled L-A-N-T-E-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A case of translucent or transparent material made to protect a flame, or light, used to illuminate its surroundings.
  2. 2
    Especially, a metal casing with lens used to illuminate a stage (e.g. spotlight, floodlight).
  3. 3
    An open structure of light material set upon a roof, to give light and air to the interior.
  4. 4
    A cage or open chamber of rich architecture, open below into the building or tower which it crowns.
  5. 5
    A smaller and secondary cupola crowning a larger one, for ornament, or to admit light.
  6. 6
    A lantern pinion or trundle wheel.
  7. 7
    A kind of cage inserted in a stuffing box and surrounding a piston rod, to separate the packing into two parts and form a chamber between for the reception of steam, etc.; a lantern brass.
  8. 8
    A light formerly used as a signal by a railway guard or conductor at night.
  9. 9
    A perforated barrel to form a core upon.
  10. 10
    Aristotle's lantern

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. On such an afternoon, if ever, the Lord High Chancellor ought to be sitting here—as here he is—with a foggy glory round his head, softly fenced in with crimson cloth and curtains, addressed by a large advocate with great whiskers, a little voice, and an interminable brief, and outwardly directing his contemplation to the lantern in the roof, where he can…
  2. The station also boasts a large semi-domed French pavilion roof with fish-scale tiles and iron cresting, plus a rectangular hall with arcaded upper storey and wooden lantern.

Etymology

From Middle English lanterne (13th century), via Old French lanterne from Latin lanterna (“lantern”), itself a corruption of Ancient Greek λαμπτήρ (lamptḗr, “torch”) (see lamp, λάμπω (lámpō)) by influence of Latin lucerna (“lamp”). The spelling lanthorn was current during the 16th to 19th centuries and originates with a folk etymology associating the word with the use of horn as translucent cover. For the verb, compare French lanterner to hang at the lamppost. Displaced native Old English lēohtfæt (literally “light-container”).

This word in other languages

farol(Español)lanterne(Français)Laterne(Deutsch)lanterna(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • alntern
  • lanetrn
  • lanntern
  • lantenr
  • lanternn
  • lanterrn
  • lantren
  • lanttern
  • latnern
  • llantern
  • lnatern

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

alntern2lanetrn2lanntern1lantenr2lanternn1lanterrn1lantren2lanttern1
Edit distance from "lantern"

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 "lantern"?
"lantern" is spelled L-A-N-T-E-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlæntən/.
What does "lantern" mean?
As a noun, "lantern" means: A case of translucent or transparent material made to protect a flame, or light, used to illuminate its surroundings.
What words are commonly confused with "lantern"?
"lantern" is commonly confused with "later", "latter", "lander". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lantern"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lantern" is /ˈlæntən/. 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 "lantern"?
From Middle English lanterne (13th century), via Old French lanterne from Latin lanterna (“lantern”), itself a corruption of Ancient Greek λαμπτήρ (lamptḗr, “torch”) (see lamp, λάμπω (lámpō)) by influence of Latin lucerna (“lamp”). The spelling la... 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 "lantern", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

lookout#12,806Katrina#12,801jasmine#12,800Mueller#12,813

Similar misspelling depth

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

mosquito11 variantsonwards11 variantsfalsely11 variantsdisgust11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list