lectern

/ˈlɛktə(ɹ)n/

//ˈlɛktə(ɹ)n// noun

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

"lectern" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lectern” is uncommon English (frequency #56,868 among 2,297 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#56,868
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lectern · lectern · English

lectern · rank #56,868 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #56,868
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH leftwing

Nearest frequency peer: leftwing (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “lectern”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “lectern” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for lectern
PropertyValue
Headwordlectern
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɛktə(ɹ)n/
Letters7
Frequency rank#56,868
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “lectern” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).lecternfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “leftwing” (#56,869), “leaver” (#56,866), “Lemuel” (#56,871). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lectern” is #56,868. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

lectern is uncommon English at frequency #56,868 among 2,297 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈlɛktə(ɹ)n/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for lectern, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: 15th century partial re-Latinization of early 14th century Middle English lettorne, lettron, from Old French leitrun, from Medieval Latin lectrinum, from Late Latin lectrum, from lectus (from whence also lecture), form of Latin legō (“I read”). The correct English form is lectern, spelled L-E-C-T-E-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service.
  2. 2
    A similar stand to support a lecturer's notes.

Etymology

15th century partial re-Latinization of early 14th century Middle English lettorne, lettron, from Old French leitrun, from Medieval Latin lectrinum, from Late Latin lectrum, from lectus (from whence also lecture), form of Latin legō (“I read”).

Synonyms

podiumpulpit

This word in other languages

atril(Español)lutrin(Français)Pult(Deutsch)atril(Português)

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 "lectern"?
"lectern" is spelled L-E-C-T-E-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɛktə(ɹ)n/.
What does "lectern" mean?
As a noun, "lectern" means: A stand with a slanted top used to support a Bible from which passages are read during a church service.
How do you pronounce "lectern"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lectern" is /ˈlɛktə(ɹ)n/. 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 "lectern"?
15th century partial re-Latinization of early 14th century Middle English lettorne, lettron, from Old French leitrun, from Medieval Latin lectrinum, from Late Latin lectrum, from lectus (from whence also lecture), form of Latin legō (“I read”). 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 "lectern", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

levying#56,875ladyboy#56,857loyally#56,880Kishore#56,846

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list