Leslie

/ˈlɛzli/

//ˈlɛzli// name

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

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

The verdict

“Leslie” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,311 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#8,311
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A Scottish surname from Scottish Gaelic.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Leslie vs Lexie
67% similar
Leslie vs lisle
50% similar
Leslie vs lessee
50% similar

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

Key facts for Leslie
PropertyValue
HeadwordLeslie
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈlɛzli/
Letters6
Frequency rank#8,311
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Leslie” 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). Leslie 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 Leslie is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈlɛzli/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,311 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 14 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for Leslie, with forms such as "elslie", "lelsie", and "lesile". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "Lexie", "lisle", "lessee", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From a placename in Aberdeenshire, originally Lesslyn, Scottish Gaelic lios cuileann (“garden of hollies”). The correct English form is Leslie, spelled L-E-S-L-I-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A Scottish surname from Scottish Gaelic.
  2. 2
    A male given name transferred from the surname.
  3. 3
    A female given name transferred from the surname, of mostly American usage.
  4. 4
    A hamlet in Aberdeenshire council area, Scotland, south-west of Insch (OS grid ref NJ5924).
  5. 5
    A large village in Fife council area, Scotland, west of Glenrothes (OS grid ref NO2401).
  6. 6
    A special service area in the Rural Municipality of Elfros No. 307, Saskatchewan, Canada.
  7. 7
    A number of places in the United States:
  8. 8
    A number of places in the United States:
  9. 9
    A number of places in the United States:
  10. 10
    A number of places in the United States:
  11. 11
    A number of places in the United States:
  12. 12
    A number of places in the United States:
  13. 13
    A number of places in the United States:
  14. 14
    A town in Mpumalanga province, South Africa.

Etymology

From a placename in Aberdeenshire, originally Lesslyn, Scottish Gaelic lios cuileann (“garden of hollies”).

This word in other languages

Leslie(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: elslie,lelsie,lesile,leslei,lesllie,lesslie,lleslie,lselie

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

elslie2lelsie2lesile2leslei2lesllie1lesslie1lleslie1lselie2
Edit distance from "Leslie"

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 "Leslie"?
"Leslie" is spelled L-E-S-L-I-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɛzli/.
What does "Leslie" mean?
As a proper noun, "Leslie" means: A Scottish surname from Scottish Gaelic.
What words are commonly confused with "Leslie"?
"Leslie" is commonly confused with "Lexie", "lisle", "lessee". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Leslie"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Leslie" is /ˈlɛzli/. 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 "Leslie"?
From a placename in Aberdeenshire, originally Lesslyn, Scottish Gaelic lios cuileann (“garden of hollies”). 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 “Leslie”

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

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