lard

/lɑːd/

//lɑːd// noun

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

"lard" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lard” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,715. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,715
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Fat from the abdomen of a pig, especially as prepared for use in cooking or pharmacy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lard · lard · English

lard · rank #29,715 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #29,715
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Lancelot

Nearest frequency peer: Lancelot (-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 “lard”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lard” 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).

lard vs LR
0% similar
lard vs law
50% similar
lard vs LED
0% similar

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

Key facts for lard
PropertyValue
Headwordlard
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/lɑːd/
Letters4
Frequency rank#29,715
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lard”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Lancelot” (#29,714), “Leblanc” (#29,716), “leeway” (#29,717). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lard” is #29,715. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around lard (IPA /lɑːd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #29,715 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for lard, with forms such as "alrd", "ladr", and "lardd". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "LR", "law", "LED", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English lard, from Old French lard (“bacon”), from Latin lārdum, lāridum (“bacon fat”). The correct English form is lard, spelled L-A-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Fat from the abdomen of a pig, especially as prepared for use in cooking or pharmacy.
  2. 2
    Fatty meat from a pig; bacon, pork.
  3. 3
    Excess fat on a person or animal.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Lard mixed with crushed and strained garlic has been used as an erotic ointment.
  2. My wonderful partner is fond of pointing out that he and I have done the Covid crisis on easy mode: we have no children, no caring responsibilities, […] we have a fabulous community of people at our local fitness studio to keep the lockdown lard at bay and the cats love joining us for afternoon naps.

Etymology

From Middle English lard, from Old French lard (“bacon”), from Latin lārdum, lāridum (“bacon fat”).

This word in other languages

lardo(Español)saindoux(Français)Schmalz(Deutsch)banha(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • alrd
  • ladr
  • lardd
  • larrd
  • llard
  • lrad

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of lard - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

alrd2ladr2lardd1larrd1llard1lrad2
Edit distance from "lard"

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 "lard"?
"lard" is spelled L-A-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /lɑːd/.
What does "lard" mean?
As a noun, "lard" means: Fat from the abdomen of a pig, especially as prepared for use in cooking or pharmacy.
What words are commonly confused with "lard"?
"lard" is commonly confused with "LR", "law", "LED". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lard"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lard" is /lɑːd/. 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 "lard"?
From Middle English lard, from Old French lard (“bacon”), from Latin lārdum, lāridum (“bacon fat”). 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 "lard", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

KORS#29,711Kari#29,706lutz#29,727Maia#29,729

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Habs6 variantsGinny6 variantspegs6 variantspooled6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list