legal

/ˈliː.ɡəl/

//ˈliː.ɡəl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“legal” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #878 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#878
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Relating to the law or to lawyers.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

legal vs lel
60% similar
legal vs legs
60% similar
legal vs Lego
40% similar

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

Key facts for legal
PropertyValue
Headwordlegal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈliː.ɡəl/
Letters5
Frequency rank#878
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “legal” 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). legal 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 legal is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈliː.ɡəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #878 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for legal, with forms such as "elgal", "leagl", and "legall". 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, "lel", "legs", "Lego", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”). Doublet of loyal and leal. The correct English form is legal, spelled L-E-G-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Relating to the law or to lawyers.
  2. 2
    Having its basis in the law.
  3. 3
    Being established, permitted, required or prescribed by law.
  4. 4
    Following the rules or syntax of a system, such as a game or a programming language.
  5. 5
    Above the age of consent or the legal drinking age.
  6. 6
    Permitting the use and/or sale of cannabis; in which cannabis is lawful.
  7. 7
    Of paper or document layouts, measuring 8+¹⁄₂ × 14 inches (216 × 356 mm).
  8. 8
    Of paper or document layouts, measuring 8+¹⁄₂ × 13 inches (216 × 330 mm).

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”). Doublet of loyal and leal.

This word in other languages

jurídico(Español)juridique(Français)juristisch(Deutsch)jurídico(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: elgal,leagl,legall,leggal,legla,lgeal,llegal

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of legal - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

elgal2leagl2legall1leggal1legla2lgeal2llegal1
Edit distance from "legal"

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 "legal"?
"legal" is spelled L-E-G-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈliː.ɡəl/.
What does "legal" mean?
As an adjective, "legal" means: Relating to the law or to lawyers.
What words are commonly confused with "legal"?
"legal" is commonly confused with "lel", "legs", "Lego". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "legal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "legal" is /ˈliː.ɡəl/. 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 "legal"?
Learned borrowing from Latin lēgālis (“legal”), from lēx (“law”). Doublet of loyal and leal. 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 “legal”

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

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