lentil

/ˈlɛntəl/

//ˈlɛntəl// noun

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

"lentil" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lentil” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #43,753 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#43,753
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of several plants of the genus Lens, especially Lens culinaris, from southwest Asia, that have edible, lens-shaped seeds within flattened pods.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lentil vs lent
67% similar
lentil vs Lenin
50% similar

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

Key facts for lentil
PropertyValue
Headwordlentil
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɛntəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#43,753
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lentil” 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). lentil 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 lentil is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈlɛntəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #43,753 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for lentil, with forms such as "elntil", "lenitl", and "lenntil". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "lent", "Lenin", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English lentile, from Old French lentille from Latin lenticula, diminutive of lēns, from a pre-Indo-European substrate source shared by German Linse, Ancient Greek λάθυρος (láthuros) and Lithuanian lęšis. Doublet of lenticula. The correct English form is lentil, spelled L-E-N-T-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of several plants of the genus Lens, especially Lens culinaris, from southwest Asia, that have edible, lens-shaped seeds within flattened pods.
  2. 2
    The seed of these plants, used as food.
  3. 3
    A small chocolate candy in an edible shell.

Etymology

From Middle English lentile, from Old French lentille from Latin lenticula, diminutive of lēns, from a pre-Indo-European substrate source shared by German Linse, Ancient Greek λάθυρος (láthuros) and Lithuanian lęšis. Doublet of lenticula.

This word in other languages

lenteja(Español)lentille(Français)Linse(Deutsch)lentilha(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: elntil,lenitl,lenntil,lentill,lentli,lenttil,letnil,llentil,lnetil

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

elntil2lenitl2lenntil1lentill1lentli2lenttil1letnil2llentil1
Edit distance from "lentil"

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 "lentil"?
"lentil" is spelled L-E-N-T-I-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɛntəl/.
What does "lentil" mean?
As a noun, "lentil" means: Any of several plants of the genus Lens, especially Lens culinaris, from southwest Asia, that have edible, lens-shaped seeds within flattened pods.
What words are commonly confused with "lentil"?
"lentil" is commonly confused with "lent", "Lenin". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lentil"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lentil" is /ˈlɛntəl/. 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 "lentil"?
From Middle English lentile, from Old French lentille from Latin lenticula, diminutive of lēns, from a pre-Indo-European substrate source shared by German Linse, Ancient Greek λάθυρος (láthuros) and Lithuanian lęšis. Doublet of lenticula. 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 “lentil”

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

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