lecture

/ˈlɛk.t͡ʃə/

//ˈlɛk.t͡ʃə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“lecture” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,706 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,706
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A spoken lesson or exposition, usually delivered to a group.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lecture vs leisure
71% similar
lecture vs lettuce
71% similar
lecture vs lectures
88% similar

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

Key facts for lecture
PropertyValue
Headwordlecture
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɛk.t͡ʃə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#5,706
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lecture” 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). lecture 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 lecture is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈlɛk.t͡ʃə/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,706 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for lecture, with forms such as "elcture", "lceture", and "leccture". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "leisure", "lettuce", "lectures", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English lecture, lectour, letture, letteur, lettur, lectury, from Medieval Latin or Late Latin lectura (“reading”), from Latin lectus, past participle of legō (“to read, recite”). The correct English form is lecture, spelled L-E-C-T-U-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A spoken lesson or exposition, usually delivered to a group.
  2. 2
    A class that primarily consists of a (weekly or other regularly held) lecture (as in sense 1), usually at college or university.
  3. 3
    A berating or scolding, especially if lengthy, formal or given in a stern or angry manner.
  4. 4
    The act of reading.

Etymology

From Middle English lecture, lectour, letture, letteur, lettur, lectury, from Medieval Latin or Late Latin lectura (“reading”), from Latin lectus, past participle of legō (“to read, recite”).

This word in other languages

conferencia(Español)conférence(Français)Vorlesung(Deutsch)conferência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: elcture,lceture,leccture,lectrue,lectture,lectuer,lecturre,lecutre,letcure,llecture

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

elcture2lceture2leccture1lectrue2lectture1lectuer2lecturre1lecutre2
Edit distance from "lecture"

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 "lecture"?
"lecture" is spelled L-E-C-T-U-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɛk.t͡ʃə/.
What does "lecture" mean?
As a noun, "lecture" means: A spoken lesson or exposition, usually delivered to a group.
What words are commonly confused with "lecture"?
"lecture" is commonly confused with "leisure", "lettuce", "lectures". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lecture"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lecture" is /ˈlɛk.t͡ʃə/. 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 "lecture"?
From Middle English lecture, lectour, letture, letteur, lettur, lectury, from Medieval Latin or Late Latin lectura (“reading”), from Latin lectus, past participle of legō (“to read, recite”). 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 “lecture”

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

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