lessen

/ˈlɛsən/

//ˈlɛsən// verb

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

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

The verdict

“lessen” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,888. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,888
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make less; to diminish; to reduce.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lessen · lessen · English

lessen · rank #17,888 · 7 variants · 17 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,888
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 17 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Lenny

Nearest frequency peer: Lenny (-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 “lessen”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lessen” 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).

lessen vs listen
67% similar
lessen vs lesson
83% similar
lessen vs lesser
83% similar

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

Key facts for lessen
PropertyValue
Headwordlessen
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈlɛsən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#17,888
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lessen”

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).lessenlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Lenny” (#17,887), “lifespan” (#17,889), “legality” (#17,886). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lessen” is #17,888. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around lessen (IPA /ˈlɛsən/), averb. Corpus frequency is #17,888 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for lessen, with forms such as "elssen", "lesen", and "lesesn". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 17 confusable-pair relationships, "listen", "lesson", "lesser", 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 lessenen, lasnen, equivalent to less + -en (verbal suffix). The correct English form is lessen, spelled L-E-S-S-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make less; to diminish; to reduce.
  2. 2
    To become less.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. a. 1686, Benjamin Calamy, a sermon Charity […] shall lessen his punishment.
  2. December 6, 1709, Francis Atterbury, a sermon preach'd before the sons of the clergy at their anniversary-meeting in the Church of St. Paul St. Paul chose to magnify his office when ill men conspired to lessen it.

Etymology

From Middle English lessenen, lasnen, equivalent to less + -en (verbal suffix).

Synonyms

remit

This word in other languages

menoscabar(Español)amoindrir(Français)atenuar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • elssen
  • lesen
  • lesesn
  • lessenn
  • lessne
  • llessen
  • lsesen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

elssen2lesen1lesesn2lessenn1lessne2llessen1lsesen2
Edit distance from "lessen"

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 "lessen"?
"lessen" is spelled L-E-S-S-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɛsən/.
What does "lessen" mean?
As a verb, "lessen" means: To make less; to diminish; to reduce.
What words are commonly confused with "lessen"?
"lessen" is commonly confused with "listen", "lesson", "lesser". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lessen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lessen" is /ˈlɛsən/. 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 "lessen"?
From Middle English lessenen, lasnen, equivalent to less + -en (verbal suffix). 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 "lessen", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

loosen#17,891Kaplan#17,880midday#17,900Jarvis#17,873

Similar misspelling depth

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

McGee7 variantsjudas7 variantsopaque7 variantsPlato7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list