lates

/ˈleɪtiːz/

//ˈleɪtiːz// noun

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

The verdict

“lates” is uncommon English (frequency #77,852 among 2,297 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#77,852
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of various large fish of genus Lates, especially the Nile perch (Lates niloticus) and the barramundi (Lates calcarifer).

Corpus desk

Index EN-lates · lates · English

lates · rank #77,852 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #77,852
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Larnaca

Nearest frequency peer: Larnaca (-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 “lates”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for lates
PropertyValue
Headwordlates
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈleɪtiːz/
Letters5
Frequency rank#77,852
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “lates” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).latesfalls 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: “Larnaca” (#77,851), “lawfulness” (#77,854), “Lanzhou” (#77,849). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lates” is #77,852. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

lates is uncommon English at frequency #77,852 among 2,297 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈleɪtiːz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Any of various large fish of genus Lates, especially the Nile perch (Lates niloticus) and the barramundi (Lates calcarifer).".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for lates, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. 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: Scientific Latin, from Ancient Greek λάτος (látos, “Nile perch”), of uncertain origin. The correct English form is lates, spelled L-A-T-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of various large fish of genus Lates, especially the Nile perch (Lates niloticus) and the barramundi (Lates calcarifer).

Etymology

Scientific Latin, from Ancient Greek λάτος (látos, “Nile perch”), of uncertain origin.

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 "lates"?
"lates" is spelled L-A-T-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈleɪtiːz/.
What does "lates" mean?
As a noun, "lates" means: Any of various large fish of genus Lates, especially the Nile perch (Lates niloticus) and the barramundi (Lates calcarifer).
How do you pronounce "lates"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lates" is /ˈleɪtiːz/. 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 "lates"?
Scientific Latin, from Ancient Greek λάτος (látos, “Nile perch”), of uncertain origin. 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 "lates", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list