latch

/læt͡ʃ/

//læt͡ʃ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“latch” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,605 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#18,605
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To close or lock as if with a latch.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

latch vs late
60% similar
latch vs loch
60% similar
latch vs later
60% similar

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

Key facts for latch
PropertyValue
Headwordlatch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/læt͡ʃ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#18,605
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “latch” 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). latch 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 latch is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /læt͡ʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,605 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for latch, with forms such as "altch", "lacth", and "latcch". 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, "late", "loch", "later", 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 lacchen (“to seize, catch, grasp”, verb), from Old English læċċan (“to grasp, take hold of, catch, seize”), from Proto-Germanic *lakjaną, *lakwijaną, *lakkijaną (“to seize”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leh₂g-, *(s)leh₂gʷ- (“to take, se… The correct English form is latch, spelled L-A-T-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To close or lock as if with a latch.
  2. 2
    To catch; lay hold of.
  3. 3
    To use a latch (kind of lightweight lock).
  4. 4
    To connect to the breast.

Etymology

From Middle English lacchen (“to seize, catch, grasp”, verb), from Old English læċċan (“to grasp, take hold of, catch, seize”), from Proto-Germanic *lakjaną, *lakwijaną, *lakkijaną (“to seize”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leh₂g-, *(s)leh₂gʷ- (“to take, seize”). Cognate with Middle Dutch lakken (“to grasp, catch”).

This word in other languages

acerrojar(Español)verriegeln(Deutsch)trincar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: altch,lacth,latcch,latchh,lathc,lattch,llatch,ltach

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

altch2lacth2latcch1latchh1lathc2lattch1llatch1ltach2
Edit distance from "latch"

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 "latch"?
"latch" is spelled L-A-T-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /læt͡ʃ/.
What does "latch" mean?
As a verb, "latch" means: To close or lock as if with a latch.
What words are commonly confused with "latch"?
"latch" is commonly confused with "late", "loch", "later". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "latch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "latch" is /læt͡ʃ/. 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 "latch"?
From Middle English lacchen (“to seize, catch, grasp”, verb), from Old English læċċan (“to grasp, take hold of, catch, seize”), from Proto-Germanic *lakjaną, *lakwijaną, *lakkijaną (“to seize”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leh₂g-, *(s)leh₂gʷ- (“t... 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 “latch”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-A-T-C-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /læt͡ʃ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “late” - see the side-by-side comparison. latch vs late
  • 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