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” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #32,891 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#32,891
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The unlawful taking of personal property as an attempt to deprive the legal owner of it permanently.

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)

Where “larceny” 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). larceny 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 larceny is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈlɑː.sən.i/. Corpus data places it at rank #32,891 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “larceny”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-A-R-C-E-N-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈlɑː.sən.i/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Larsen” - see the side-by-side comparison. larceny vs Larsen
  • 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