leader

/ˈliː.də(ɹ)/

//ˈliː.də(ɹ)// noun

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

"leader" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“leader” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,195 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,195
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any person who leads or directs.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

leader vs lear
67% similar
leader vs leer
67% similar
leader vs leave
67% similar

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

Key facts for leader
PropertyValue
Headwordleader
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈliː.də(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,195
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “leader” 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). leader 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 leader is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈliː.də(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,195 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 24 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 leader, with forms such as "elader", "laeder", and "leadder". 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, "lear", "leer", "leave", 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 leder, ledere, from Old English lǣdere (“leader”), from Proto-West Germanic *laidijārī (“leader”), equivalent to lead + -er. Cognate with Scots ledar, leidar (“leader”), West Frisian lieder (“leader”), Dutch leider (“leader”), German Lei… The correct English form is leader, spelled L-E-A-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any person who leads or directs.
  2. 2
    Any person who leads or directs.
  3. 3
    Any person who leads or directs.
  4. 4
    Any person who leads or directs.
  5. 5
    Any person who leads or directs.
  6. 6
    Any person who leads or directs.
  7. 7
    Any person who leads or directs.
  8. 8
    An animal that leads.
  9. 9
    An animal that leads.
  10. 10
    An animal that leads.
  11. 11
    Someone or something that leads or conducts.
  12. 12
    Someone or something that leads or conducts.
  13. 13
    Someone or something that leads or conducts.
  14. 14
    Someone or something that leads or conducts.
  15. 15
    Someone or something that leads or conducts.
  16. 16
    Someone or something that leads or conducts.
  17. 17
    Someone or something that leads or conducts.
  18. 18
    Someone or something that leads or conducts.
  19. 19
    Someone or something that leads or conducts.
  20. 20
    Someone or something that leads or conducts.
  21. 21
    Someone or something that leads or conducts.
  22. 22
    Someone or something that leads or conducts.
  23. 23
    Someone or something that leads or conducts.
  24. 24
    Someone or something that leads or conducts.

Etymology

From Middle English leder, ledere, from Old English lǣdere (“leader”), from Proto-West Germanic *laidijārī (“leader”), equivalent to lead + -er. Cognate with Scots ledar, leidar (“leader”), West Frisian lieder (“leader”), Dutch leider (“leader”), German Leiter (“leader, conductor, manager”), Danish leder (“leader, manager”), Swedish ledare (“leader, conductor, director”), Icelandic leiðari (“leader, conductor”).

Antonyms

follower

This word in other languages

líder(Español)chef(Français)Anführer(Deutsch)chefe(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: elader,laeder,leadder,leaderr,leadre,leaedr,ledaer,lleader

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

elader2laeder2leadder1leaderr1leadre2leaedr2ledaer2lleader1
Edit distance from "leader"

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 "leader"?
"leader" is spelled L-E-A-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈliː.də(ɹ)/.
What does "leader" mean?
As a noun, "leader" means: Any person who leads or directs.
What words are commonly confused with "leader"?
"leader" is commonly confused with "lear", "leer", "leave". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "leader"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "leader" is /ˈliː.də(ɹ)/. 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 "leader"?
From Middle English leder, ledere, from Old English lǣdere (“leader”), from Proto-West Germanic *laidijārī (“leader”), equivalent to lead + -er. Cognate with Scots ledar, leidar (“leader”), West Frisian lieder (“leader”), Dutch leider (“leader”), ... 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 “leader”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-E-A-D-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈliː.də(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “lear” - see the side-by-side comparison. leader vs lear
  • 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