leman

/ˈlɛmən/

//ˈlɛmən// noun

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

The verdict

“leman” is an uncommon English word, ranked #66,039 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#66,039
frequency rank, English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One beloved; a lover, a sweetheart of either sex (especially a secret lover; a gallant or mistress).

Key facts for leman
PropertyValue
Headwordleman
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɛmən/
Letters5
Frequency rank#66,039
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “leman” 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). leman 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 leman is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈlɛmən/. Corpus data places it at rank #66,039 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for leman, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English lemman, variant of leofman, from Old English *lēofmann ("lover; sweetheart"; attested as a personal name), equivalent to lief + man ("beloved person"). In the past, incorrectly asserted to derive from French l'aimant (“the [male] lover”). The correct English form is leman, spelled L-E-M-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    One beloved; a lover, a sweetheart of either sex (especially a secret lover; a gallant or mistress).
  2. 2
    A paramour.

Etymology

From Middle English lemman, variant of leofman, from Old English *lēofmann ("lover; sweetheart"; attested as a personal name), equivalent to lief + man ("beloved person"). In the past, incorrectly asserted to derive from French l'aimant (“the [male] lover”).

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 "leman"?
"leman" is spelled L-E-M-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɛmən/.
What does "leman" mean?
As a noun, "leman" means: One beloved; a lover, a sweetheart of either sex (especially a secret lover; a gallant or mistress).
How do you pronounce "leman"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "leman" is /ˈlɛmən/. 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 "leman"?
From Middle English lemman, variant of leofman, from Old English *lēofmann ("lover; sweetheart"; attested as a personal name), equivalent to lief + man ("beloved person"). In the past, incorrectly asserted to derive from French l'aimant (“the [mal... 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 “leman”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-E-M-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈlɛmən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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