lapis

/ˈlæpɪs/

//ˈlæpɪs// noun

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

The verdict

“lapis” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #38,012. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#38,012
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Ellipsis of lapis lazuli.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lapis · lapis · English

lapis · rank #38,012 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #38,012
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Laramie

Nearest frequency peer: Laramie (+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 “lapis”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lapis” 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).

lapis vs las
60% similar
lapis vs lis
60% similar
lapis vs laws
60% similar

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

Key facts for lapis
PropertyValue
Headwordlapis
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlæpɪs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#38,012
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lapis”

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).lapislands 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 “Laramie” (#38,013), “Krugman” (#38,009), “lethargic” (#38,015). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lapis” is #38,012. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around lapis (IPA /ˈlæpɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #38,012 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Ellipsis of lapis lazuli.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for lapis, with forms such as "alpis", "laips", and "lapiss". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "las", "lis", "laws", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Shortened form of lapis lazuli. The correct English form is lapis, spelled L-A-P-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ellipsis of lapis lazuli.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Lapis, opal, &c. are poliſh'd on a wooden wheel. To faſhion and Engrave vaſes of agate, cryſtal, lapis, or the like, they make uſe of a kind of lathe like that us'd by pewterers, excepting that as the pewterers lathe holds the veſſels, which are to be wrought with proper tools; that of the Engraver generally holds the tools which are turn'd by a wheel, an…
  2. French Bead Necklace of lapis or carnelian color, with crystal rondelles between each bead, graduated, 32 inches long.

Etymology

Shortened form of lapis lazuli.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • alpis
  • laips
  • lapiss
  • lappis
  • lapsi
  • llapis
  • lpais

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

alpis2laips2lapiss1lappis1lapsi2llapis1lpais2
Edit distance from "lapis"

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 "lapis"?
"lapis" is spelled L-A-P-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlæpɪs/.
What does "lapis" mean?
As a noun, "lapis" means: Ellipsis of lapis lazuli.
What words are commonly confused with "lapis"?
"lapis" is commonly confused with "las", "lis", "laws". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lapis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lapis" is /ˈlæpɪs/. 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 "lapis"?
Shortened form of lapis lazuli. 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 "lapis", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list