leave

/liːv/

//liːv// verb

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

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

The verdict

“leave” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #457 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#457
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To have a consequence or remnant.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

leave vs lee
60% similar
leave vs lev
60% similar
leave vs love
60% similar

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

Key facts for leave
PropertyValue
Headwordleave
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/liːv/
Letters5
Frequency rank#457
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “leave” 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). leave 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 leave is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /liːv/. Corpus data places it at rank #457 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 14 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for leave, with forms such as "elave", "laeve", and "leaev". 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, "lee", "lev", "love", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English leven, from Old English lǣfan (“to leave”), from Proto-West Germanic *laibijan, from Proto-Germanic *laibijaną (“to let stay, leave”), causative of *lībaną (“to stay, remain”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to stick; fat”). Cognate w… The correct English form is leave, spelled L-E-A-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To have a consequence or remnant.
  2. 2
    To have a consequence or remnant.
  3. 3
    To have a consequence or remnant.
  4. 4
    To depart; to separate from.
  5. 5
    To depart; to separate from.
  6. 6
    To depart; to separate from.
  7. 7
    To depart; to separate from.
  8. 8
    To depart; to separate from.
  9. 9
    To depart; to separate from.
  10. 10
    To transfer something.
  11. 11
    To transfer something.
  12. 12
    To transfer something.
  13. 13
    To remain (behind); to stay.
  14. 14
    To stop, desist from; to "leave off" (+ noun / gerund).

Etymology

From Middle English leven, from Old English lǣfan (“to leave”), from Proto-West Germanic *laibijan, from Proto-Germanic *laibijaną (“to let stay, leave”), causative of *lībaną (“to stay, remain”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to stick; fat”). Cognate with Old Frisian lēva (“to leave”), Old Saxon lēvian, Old High German leiban (“to leave”), Old Norse leifa (“to leave over”) (whence Icelandic leifa (“to leave food uneaten”), Swedish leva (“to leave”)), lifna (“to be left”) (whence Danish levne). More at lave, belive. The noun is attested since the 19th century, with earliest references to billiards.

Synonyms

beat itbug offremovebugger offbookbouncebuzz offchuckcut one's stickdashdepartduck outexitget awayget outgogo awaygo outGTFOleavemake tracksmove onnamouspartpiss offpull up stakesput outstartstart outset forthset offset outrun alongsling one's hooksplittake offtake leavetake one's leavetake wingquit

Antonyms

kick outremainresidesojourntarry

This word in other languages

dejar(Español)laisser(Français)lassen(Deutsch)deixar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: elave,laeve,leaev,leavve,levae,lleave

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

elave2laeve2leaev2leavve1levae2lleave1
Edit distance from "leave"

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 "leave"?
"leave" is spelled L-E-A-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /liːv/.
What does "leave" mean?
As a verb, "leave" means: To have a consequence or remnant.
What words are commonly confused with "leave"?
"leave" is commonly confused with "lee", "lev", "love". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "leave"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "leave" is /liːv/. 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 "leave"?
From Middle English leven, from Old English lǣfan (“to leave”), from Proto-West Germanic *laibijan, from Proto-Germanic *laibijaną (“to let stay, leave”), causative of *lībaną (“to stay, remain”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to stick; fat”).... 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 “leave”

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

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