ledge

/lɛd͡ʒ/

//lɛd͡ʒ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“ledge” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,956. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,956
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A narrow surface projecting horizontally from a wall, cliff, or other surface.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ledge · ledge · English

ledge · rank #16,956 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,956
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH leases

Nearest frequency peer: leases (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “ledge”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “ledge” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ledge vs lee
60% similar
ledge vs leg
60% similar
ledge vs legs
60% similar

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

Key facts for ledge
PropertyValue
Headwordledge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/lɛd͡ʒ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#16,956
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ledge”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).ledgelands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “leases” (#16,955), “levin” (#16,957), “leaned” (#16,954). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “ledge” is #16,956. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around ledge (IPA /lɛd͡ʒ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,956 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for ledge, with forms such as "eldge", "ldege", and "leddge". 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", "leg", "legs", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English legge, from Old English leċġ (“bar, crossbeam”), from Proto-West Germanic *laggju (“layer, strip, ledge, rung, bar”), from Proto-Germanic *lagjō (“layer, stratum”), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie, recline”). Cognate with West F… The correct English form is ledge, spelled L-E-D-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A narrow surface projecting horizontally from a wall, cliff, or other surface.
  2. 2
    A shelf on which articles may be laid.
  3. 3
    A shelf, ridge, or reef, of rocks.
  4. 4
    A layer or stratum.
  5. 5
    A lode; a limited mass of rock bearing valuable mineral.
  6. 6
    A (door or window) lintel.
  7. 7
    A cornice.
  8. 8
    A piece of timber to support the deck, placed athwartship between beams.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how ledge appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Let me help you tie the rope around your neck / Let me help to talk you the wrong way off the ledge / Let me help you hold the Glock against your head

Etymology

From Middle English legge, from Old English leċġ (“bar, crossbeam”), from Proto-West Germanic *laggju (“layer, strip, ledge, rung, bar”), from Proto-Germanic *lagjō (“layer, stratum”), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie, recline”). Cognate with West Frisian lêch (“a layer of sheaves on a threshing floor”), Dutch leg (“layer”), German Low German Legg (“wrinkle, fold, flat layer, stratum”), Middle High German legge, lecke (“position, layer, stratum, tier; pleat, hem”). Related to Middle English leggen (“to lay, apply”), from Old English leċġan (“to lay”); and Old English *ġeleċġ (“positioning, arrangement, layout”) as in Old English limġeleċġ (“the disposition of the limbs, form, shape”). More at lay.

This word in other languages

borde(Español)rebord(Français)Bord(Deutsch)borda(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eldge
  • ldege
  • leddge
  • ledeg
  • ledgge
  • legde
  • lledge

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ledge - 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.

eldge2ldege2leddge1ledeg2ledgge1legde2lledge1
Edit distance from "ledge"

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 "ledge"?
"ledge" is spelled L-E-D-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /lɛd͡ʒ/.
What does "ledge" mean?
As a noun, "ledge" means: A narrow surface projecting horizontally from a wall, cliff, or other surface.
What words are commonly confused with "ledge"?
"ledge" is commonly confused with "lee", "leg", "legs". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ledge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ledge" is /lɛd͡ʒ/. 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 "ledge"?
From Middle English legge, from Old English leċġ (“bar, crossbeam”), from Proto-West Germanic *laggju (“layer, strip, ledge, rung, bar”), from Proto-Germanic *lagjō (“layer, stratum”), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie, recline”). Cognate w... 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 "ledge", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

levin#16,957LGBTQ#16,958Kyoto#16,953jacks#16,950

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

leases7 variantsMarian7 variantsMoran7 variantsnatal7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list