lash

/læʃ/

//læʃ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“lash” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,657. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,657
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - The thong or braided cord of a whip, with which the blow is given.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lash · lash · English

lash · rank #17,657 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,657
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Latina

Nearest frequency peer: Latina (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “lash”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “lash” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lash vs Ls
25% similar
lash vs law
50% similar
lash vs los
50% similar

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

Key facts for lash
PropertyValue
Headwordlash
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/læʃ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#17,657
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lash” 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). lash lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around lash (IPA /læʃ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,657 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for lash, with forms such as "alsh", "lahs", and "lashh". 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, "Ls", "law", "los", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English lashe, lasshe, lasche (“a stroke; the flexible end of a whip”), from Proto-Germanic *laskô (“flap of fabric, strap”). Cognate with Dutch lasch, las (“a piece; seal; joint; notch; seam”), German Low German Laske, Lask (“a flap; dag; strap… The correct English form is lash, spelled L-A-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    The thong or braided cord of a whip, with which the blow is given.
  2. 2
    A leash in which an animal is caught or held; hence, a snare.
  3. 3
    A stroke with a whip, or anything pliant and tough, often given as a punishment.
  4. 4
    A quick and violent sweeping movement, as of an animal's tail; a swish.
  5. 5
    A stroke of satire or sarcasm; an expression or retort that cuts or gives pain; a cut.
  6. 6
    A hair growing from the edge of the eyelid; an eyelash.
  7. 7
    In carpet weaving, a group of strings for lifting simultaneously certain yarns, to form the figure.
  8. 8
    Flowering plants of genus Blepharis.
  9. 9
    An attempt; a go at something.
  10. 10
    A quantity, a great number or amount (e.g. of rain or milk).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I observed that your whip wanted a lash to it.
  2. The culprit received thirty-nine lashes.

Etymology

From Middle English lashe, lasshe, lasche (“a stroke; the flexible end of a whip”), from Proto-Germanic *laskô (“flap of fabric, strap”). Cognate with Dutch lasch, las (“a piece; seal; joint; notch; seam”), German Low German Laske, Lask (“a flap; dag; strap”), German Lasche (“a flap; joint; strap; tongue; scarf”), Swedish lask (“scarf”), Icelandic laski (“the bottom part of a glove”).

This word in other languages

látigo(Español)lanière(Français)Schlag(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • alsh
  • lahs
  • lashh
  • lassh
  • llash
  • lsah

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

alsh2lahs2lashh1lassh1llash1lsah2
Edit distance from "lash"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "lash"?
"lash" is spelled L-A-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /læʃ/.
What does "lash" mean?
As a noun, "lash" means: The thong or braided cord of a whip, with which the blow is given.
What words are commonly confused with "lash"?
"lash" is commonly confused with "Ls", "law", "los". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lash"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lash" is /læʃ/. 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 "lash"?
From Middle English lashe, lasshe, lasche (“a stroke; the flexible end of a whip”), from Proto-Germanic *laskô (“flap of fabric, strap”). Cognate with Dutch lasch, las (“a piece; seal; joint; notch; seam”), German Low German Laske, Lask (“a flap; ... 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 "lash", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Katz#17,653kale#17,652Luca#17,663Jang#17,649

Similar misspelling depth

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

Donnie6 variantsbegs6 variantscrore6 variantsDixie6 variants
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