leaves

/liːvz/

//liːvz// noun

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

The verdict

“leaves” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,698 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,698
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - plural of leaf

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

leaves vs lees
67% similar
leaves vs level
67% similar
leaves vs lives
67% similar

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

Key facts for leaves
PropertyValue
Headwordleaves
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/liːvz/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,698
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “leaves” 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). leaves 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 leaves is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /liːvz/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,698 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 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 leaves, with forms such as "elaves", "laeves", and "leaevs". 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, "lees", "level", "lives", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct English form is leaves, spelled L-E-A-V-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    plural of leaf
  2. 2
    from leave:
  3. 3
    from leave:

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: elaves,laeves,leaevs,leavess,leavse,leavves,levaes,lleaves

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of leaves - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

elaves2laeves2leaevs2leavess1leavse2leavves1levaes2lleaves1
Edit distance from "leaves"

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 "leaves"?
"leaves" is spelled L-E-A-V-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is /liːvz/.
What does "leaves" mean?
As a noun, "leaves" means: plural of leaf
What words are commonly confused with "leaves"?
"leaves" is commonly confused with "lees", "level", "lives". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "leaves"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "leaves" is /liːvz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "leaves" come from?
"leaves" 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 “leaves”

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

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