lapis lazuli
/ˌlap.ɪs ˈlaz.jʊ.laɪ/
"lapis-lazuli" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“lapis lazuli” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A deep blue stone, used in making jewelry, and traditionally used to make the pigment ultramarine.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | lapis lazuli |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌlap.ɪs ˈlaz.jʊ.laɪ/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “lapis lazuli” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
lapis lazuli is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌlap.ɪs ˈlaz.jʊ.laɪ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for lapis lazuli, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English lapis lazuli, from Medieval Latin lapis (“stone”) + lazulī, genitive singular of lazulum (“lapis lazuli, azure, the sky”), from Arabic لَازُوَرْد (lāzuward, “lapis lazuli, azure”), from Persian لاجورد (lâjvard). Compare azure, of the sam… The correct English form is lapis lazuli, spelled L-A-P-I-S- -L-A-Z-U-L-I.
Definition
- 1A deep blue stone, used in making jewelry, and traditionally used to make the pigment ultramarine.
- 2A deep, bright blue, like that of the stone.
Etymology
From Middle English lapis lazuli, from Medieval Latin lapis (“stone”) + lazulī, genitive singular of lazulum (“lapis lazuli, azure, the sky”), from Arabic لَازُوَرْد (lāzuward, “lapis lazuli, azure”), from Persian لاجورد (lâjvard). Compare azure, of the same origin.
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 “lapis lazuli”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is L-A-P-I-S- -L-A-Z-U-L-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌlap.ɪs ˈlaz.jʊ.laɪ/ (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.