leave behind

verb

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

"leave-behind" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“leave behind” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To abandon.

Key facts for leave behind
PropertyValue
Headwordleave behind
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters12
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “leave behind” sits in English frequency

leave behind falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for leave behind is 12 letters long, classified as a verb. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for leave behind, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct English form is leave behind, spelled L-E-A-V-E- -B-E-H-I-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To abandon.
  2. 2
    To forget about.
  3. 3
    To not live longer than; to be survived by.
  4. 4
    To leave (a trace of something).
  5. 5
    To outdo; to progress faster than (someone or something else).
  6. 6
    To pass.
  7. 7
    Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see leave, behind.

This word in other languages

abandonner(Français)zurücklassen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "leave behind"?
"leave behind" is spelled L-E-A-V-E- -B-E-H-I-N-D.
What does "leave behind" mean?
As a verb, "leave behind" means: To abandon.
What language does "leave behind" come from?
"leave behind" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 behind”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-E-A-V-E- -B-E-H-I-N-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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