last

/lɑːst/

//lɑːst// adj

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

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

The verdict

“last” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #141. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#141
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Final, ultimate, coming after all others of its kind.

Corpus desk

Index EN-last · last · English

last · rank #141 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #141
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH you're

Nearest frequency peer: you're (-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 “last”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “last” 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 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

last vs Lt
25% similar
last vs Ls
25% similar
last vs lot
50% similar

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

Key facts for last
PropertyValue
Headwordlast
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/lɑːst/
Letters4
Frequency rank#141
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “last” 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).lastlands 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 “you're” (#140), “s” (#142), “through” (#139). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around last (IPA /lɑːst/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #141 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for last, with forms such as "alst", "lasst", and "lastt". 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, "Lt", "Ls", "lot", 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 laste, latst, syncopated variant of latest. The correct English form is last, spelled L-A-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Final, ultimate, coming after all others of its kind.
  2. 2
    Most recent, latest, last so far.
  3. 3
    Farthest of all from a given quality, character, or condition; most unlikely, or least preferable.
  4. 4
    Being the only one remaining of its class.
  5. 5
    Supreme; highest in degree; utmost.
  6. 6
    Lowest in rank or degree.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Will try to fix it by myself for now: as a last resort, we can always take it to a grease monkey.
  2. Eyes Wide Shut was the last film to be directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Etymology

From Middle English laste, latst, syncopated variant of latest.

Synonyms

rear, rearmost, caboose, dernier, final, terminal, ultimate, lattermost;latestmost recent

This word in other languages

último(Español)dernier(Français)letzte(Deutsch)último(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • alst
  • lasst
  • lastt
  • lats
  • llast

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of last - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

alst2lasst1lastt1lats2llast1
Edit distance from "last"

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 "last"?
"last" is spelled L-A-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /lɑːst/.
What does "last" mean?
As an adjective, "last" means: Final, ultimate, coming after all others of its kind.
What words are commonly confused with "last"?
"last" is commonly confused with "Lt", "Ls", "lot". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "last"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "last" is /lɑːst/. 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 "last"?
From Middle English laste, latst, syncopated variant of latest. 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 "last", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

best#145down#137such#146love#147

Similar misspelling depth

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

life5 variantslook5 variantsmany5 variantstake5 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "last". Here's where to go from here.

  • "last" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "Lt". View pair
  • 5 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #141 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "L" letter cohort. L–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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