larch

/ˈlɑːtʃ/

//ˈlɑːtʃ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“larch” is uncommon English (frequency #50,035 among 2,297 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,035
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A coniferous tree, of genus Larix, having deciduous leaves in fascicles.

Corpus desk

Index EN-larch · larch · English

larch · rank #50,035 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #50,035
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH languish

Nearest frequency peer: languish (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “larch”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “larch” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for larch
PropertyValue
Headwordlarch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɑːtʃ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#50,035
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “larch” in English

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).larchfalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “languish” (#50,034), “Lagrangian” (#50,033), “ladyship” (#50,032). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “larch” is #50,035. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

larch is uncommon English at frequency #50,035 among 2,297 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈlɑːtʃ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for larch, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From early modern German Larche, Lärche, from Middle High German larche, from Old High German larihha, early borrowing from Latin larix, itself possibly of Gaulish origin. In the first century AD, Vitruvius wrote that the tree was given the Latin name "lari… The correct English form is larch, spelled L-A-R-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    A coniferous tree, of genus Larix, having deciduous leaves in fascicles.
  2. 2
    Wood of the larch.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The Larch-tree, with us, groweth slowly, and to be found in few places; it hath a rugged bark, and boughts that branch in good order, with divers small yellowish bunched eminences, set thereon at several distances, from whence tufts of many small, long, and narrow smooth leaves do yearly come forth; it beareth among the green leaves many beautiful flowers…
  2. 1716, Nicholas Rowe (translator), The Ninth Book of Lucan in John Dryden, Miscellany Poems, London: Jacob Tonson, Volume 6, p. 67, The Gummy Larch-Tree, and the Thapsos there, Wound-wort and Maiden-weed, perfume the Air.

Etymology

From early modern German Larche, Lärche, from Middle High German larche, from Old High German larihha, early borrowing from Latin larix, itself possibly of Gaulish origin. In the first century AD, Vitruvius wrote that the tree was given the Latin name "larigna" when the Romans discovered it at the town of Larignum.

Synonyms

larchwood

This word in other languages

alerce(Español)mélèze(Français)Lärche(Deutsch)

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 "larch"?
"larch" is spelled L-A-R-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɑːtʃ/.
What does "larch" mean?
As a noun, "larch" means: A coniferous tree, of genus Larix, having deciduous leaves in fascicles.
How do you pronounce "larch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "larch" is /ˈlɑːtʃ/. 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 "larch"?
From early modern German Larche, Lärche, from Middle High German larche, from Old High German larihha, early borrowing from Latin larix, itself possibly of Gaulish origin. In the first century AD, Vitruvius wrote that the tree was given the Latin ... 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 "larch", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

krazy#50,028Kenai#50,023Jenks#50,016jawed#50,014

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list