lapse

/læps/

//læps// noun

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

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

The verdict

“lapse” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,206 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#15,206
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A temporary failure; a slip.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

lapse vs las
60% similar
lapse vs last
60% similar
lapse vs late
60% similar

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

Key facts for lapse
PropertyValue
Headwordlapse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/læps/
Letters5
Frequency rank#15,206
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lapse” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). lapse lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for lapse is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /læps/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,206 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for lapse, with forms such as "alpse", "lapes", and "lappse". 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", "last", "late", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French laps, from Latin lāpsus, from lābī (“to slip”). Doublet of lapsus. The correct English form is lapse, spelled L-A-P-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A temporary failure; a slip.
  2. 2
    A decline or fall in standards.
  3. 3
    A pause in continuity.
  4. 4
    An interval of time between events.
  5. 5
    A termination of a right etc., through disuse or neglect.
  6. 6
    A marked decrease in air temperature with increasing altitude because the ground is warmer than the surrounding air.
  7. 7
    A common-law rule that if the person to whom property is willed were to die before the testator, then the gift would be ineffective.
  8. 8
    A fall or apostasy.

Etymology

From Middle French laps, from Latin lāpsus, from lābī (“to slip”). Doublet of lapsus.

This word in other languages

desliz(Español)erreur(Français)Entgleisung(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: alpse,lapes,lappse,lapsse,laspe,llapse,lpase

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

alpse2lapes2lappse1lapsse1laspe2llapse1lpase2
Edit distance from "lapse"

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 "lapse"?
"lapse" is spelled L-A-P-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /læps/.
What does "lapse" mean?
As a noun, "lapse" means: A temporary failure; a slip.
What words are commonly confused with "lapse"?
"lapse" is commonly confused with "las", "last", "late". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lapse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lapse" is /læps/. 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 "lapse"?
From Middle French laps, from Latin lāpsus, from lābī (“to slip”). Doublet of lapsus. 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.

Using “lapse”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is L-A-P-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /læps/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “las” - see the side-by-side comparison. lapse vs las
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list