larceny

/ˈlɑː.sən.i/

//ˈlɑː.sən.i// noun

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

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

The verdict

“larceny” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,891. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,891
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The unlawful taking of personal property as an attempt to deprive the legal owner of it permanently.

Corpus desk

Index EN-larceny · larceny · English

larceny · rank #32,891 · 11 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,891
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH landlady

Nearest frequency peer: landlady (-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 “larceny”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “larceny” 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).

larceny vs Larsen
57% similar
larceny vs largely
71% similar
larceny vs Lacey
57% similar

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

Key facts for larceny
PropertyValue
Headwordlarceny
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɑː.sən.i/
Letters7
Frequency rank#32,891
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “larceny”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).larcenylands 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 “landlady” (#32,890), “lavatory” (#32,892), “Laila” (#32,889). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “larceny” is #32,891. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around larceny (IPA /ˈlɑː.sən.i/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #32,891 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for larceny, with forms such as "alrceny", "lacreny", and "larcceny". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "Larsen", "largely", "Lacey", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Coined in Middle English (as larceni) between 1425 and 1475 from Anglo-Norman larcin (“theft”), from Latin latrocinium (“robbery”), from latro (“robber, mercenary”), from Ancient Greek λάτρον (látron, “pay, hire”). The correct English form is larceny, spelled L-A-R-C-E-N-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The unlawful taking of personal property as an attempt to deprive the legal owner of it permanently.
  2. 2
    An individual instance of such a taking.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. “Why are you walking around,” inquired Oedipa, “with your eyes closed, Metzger?” “Larceny,” Metzger said, “maybe they'll need a lawyer.”
  2. He was prudent enough not to admit he was earning money, which went down well with you, for you knew already he was working “black,” as the Germans call it — meaning illegally, and at night. Shrewd chap, you thought; resourceful; not above a bit of larceny.

Etymology

Coined in Middle English (as larceni) between 1425 and 1475 from Anglo-Norman larcin (“theft”), from Latin latrocinium (“robbery”), from latro (“robber, mercenary”), from Ancient Greek λάτρον (látron, “pay, hire”).

This word in other languages

hurto(Español)larcin(Français)Diebstahl(Deutsch)furto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • alrceny
  • lacreny
  • larcceny
  • larcenny
  • larcenyy
  • larceyn
  • larcney
  • larecny
  • larrceny
  • llarceny
  • lraceny

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of larceny - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

alrceny2lacreny2larcceny1larcenny1larcenyy1larceyn2larcney2larecny2
Edit distance from "larceny"

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 "larceny"?
"larceny" is spelled L-A-R-C-E-N-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɑː.sən.i/.
What does "larceny" mean?
As a noun, "larceny" means: The unlawful taking of personal property as an attempt to deprive the legal owner of it permanently.
What words are commonly confused with "larceny"?
"larceny" is commonly confused with "Larsen", "largely", "Lacey". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "larceny"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "larceny" is /ˈlɑː.sən.i/. 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 "larceny"?
Coined in Middle English (as larceni) between 1425 and 1475 from Anglo-Norman larcin (“theft”), from Latin latrocinium (“robbery”), from latro (“robber, mercenary”), from Ancient Greek λάτρον (látron, “pay, hire”). 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 "larceny", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Klingon#32,886Lourdes#32,901Juanita#32,879javelin#32,876

Similar misspelling depth

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

ketamine11 variantsinkling11 variantsmessianic11 variantsMichaela11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list