lazy

/ˈleɪzi/

//ˈleɪzi// adj

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

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

The verdict

“lazy” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,773. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,773
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Unwilling to do work or make an effort; disinclined to exertion.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lazy · lazy · English

lazy · rank #4,773 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,773
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Laura

Nearest frequency peer: Laura (-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 “lazy”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lazy” 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).

lazy vs LZ
0% similar
lazy vs Liz
25% similar
lazy vs luz
50% similar

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

Key facts for lazy
PropertyValue
Headwordlazy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈleɪzi/
Letters4
Frequency rank#4,773
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lazy”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).lazylands 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 “Laura” (#4,772), “mama” (#4,774), “laughed” (#4,771). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lazy” is #4,773. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around lazy (IPA /ˈleɪzi/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #4,773 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for lazy, with forms such as "alzy", "layz", and "lazyy". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "LZ", "Liz", "luz", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Attested since 1540, origin uncertain. Probably from Low German and Middle Low German lasich (“slack, feeble, lazy”), from las, from Old Saxon lask, from Proto-Germanic *lasiwaz, *laskaz (“feeble, weak”), from Proto-Indo-European *las- (“weak”). Akin to Dut… The correct English form is lazy, spelled L-A-Z-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Unwilling to do work or make an effort; disinclined to exertion.
  2. 2
    Causing or characterised by idleness; relaxed or leisurely.
  3. 3
    Showing a lack of effort or care.
  4. 4
    Sluggish; slow-moving.
  5. 5
    Lax:
  6. 6
    Lax:
  7. 7
    Turned so that (the letter) is horizontal instead of vertical.
  8. 8
    Employing lazy evaluation; not calculating results until they are immediately required.
  9. 9
    Wicked; vicious.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Get out of bed, you lazy lout!
  2. If there bee any lasie fellow, any that cannot away with worke, any that would wallow in pleasures, hee is hastie to be priested. And when hee is made one, and has gotten a benefice, he consorts with his neighbour priests, who are altogether given to pleasures; and then both hee, and they, live, not like Christians, but like epicures; drinking, eating, fe…

Etymology

Attested since 1540, origin uncertain. Probably from Low German and Middle Low German lasich (“slack, feeble, lazy”), from las, from Old Saxon lask, from Proto-Germanic *lasiwaz, *laskaz (“feeble, weak”), from Proto-Indo-European *las- (“weak”). Akin to Dutch leuzig (“lazy”), Old Norse lasinn (“limpy, tired, weak”), Old English lesu, lysu (“false, evil, base”). More at lush. An alternative etymology traces lazy to Early Modern English laysy, a derivative of lay (plural lays + -y) in the same way that tipsy is derived from tip. See lay.

Synonyms

bone-idleidleindolentslothfulwork-shylazyfainéantinertlackadaisicallithersluggishsweartorpid

Antonyms

activediligentindustrious

This word in other languages

perezoso(Español)paresseux(Français)faul(Deutsch)preguiçoso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • alzy
  • layz
  • lazyy
  • lazzy
  • llazy
  • lzay

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

alzy2layz2lazyy1lazzy1llazy1lzay2
Edit distance from "lazy"

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 "lazy"?
"lazy" is spelled L-A-Z-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈleɪzi/.
What does "lazy" mean?
As an adjective, "lazy" means: Unwilling to do work or make an effort; disinclined to exertion.
What words are commonly confused with "lazy"?
"lazy" is commonly confused with "LZ", "Liz", "luz". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lazy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lazy" is /ˈleɪzi/. 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 "lazy"?
Attested since 1540, origin uncertain. Probably from Low German and Middle Low German lasich (“slack, feeble, lazy”), from las, from Old Saxon lask, from Proto-Germanic *lasiwaz, *laskaz (“feeble, weak”), from Proto-Indo-European *las- (“weak”). A... 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 "lazy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

mama#4,774dirt#4,752shoe#4,796carl#4,743

Similar misspelling depth

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

Laura6 variantsnoble6 variantspussy6 variantsterry6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list