lesson

/ˈlɛs.ən/

//ˈlɛs.ən// verb

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

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

The verdict

“lesson” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,177. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,177
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To instruct to teach.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lesson · lesson · English

lesson · rank #3,177 · 7 variants · 18 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,177
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 18 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH killer

Nearest frequency peer: killer (-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 “lesson”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lesson” 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).

lesson vs Lisbon
50% similar
lesson vs Liston
50% similar
lesson vs Leyton
50% similar

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

Key facts for lesson
PropertyValue
Headwordlesson
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈlɛs.ən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,177
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lesson”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).lessonlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “killer” (#3,176), “limits” (#3,178), “joining” (#3,175). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lesson” is #3,177. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around lesson (IPA /ˈlɛs.ən/), averb. Corpus frequency is #3,177 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To instruct to teach.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for lesson, with forms such as "elsson", "leson", and "lesosn". 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 18 confusable-pair relationships, "Lisbon", "Liston", "Leyton", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English lessoun, from Old French leçon, from Latin lēctiō, lēctiōnem (“a reading”), from legō (“to read; to gather”). Doublet of lection. The correct English form is lesson, spelled L-E-S-S-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To instruct to teach.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. And you, my sister—you, who lesson me on endurance, your cheek is pale, and your step languid; even with you, how much has life lost its interest!

Etymology

From Middle English lessoun, from Old French leçon, from Latin lēctiō, lēctiōnem (“a reading”), from legō (“to read; to gather”). Doublet of lection.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • elsson
  • leson
  • lesosn
  • lessno
  • lessonn
  • llesson
  • lseson

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

elsson2leson1lesosn2lessno2lessonn1llesson1lseson2
Edit distance from "lesson"

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 "lesson"?
"lesson" is spelled L-E-S-S-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɛs.ən/.
What does "lesson" mean?
As a verb, "lesson" means: To instruct to teach.
What words are commonly confused with "lesson"?
"lesson" is commonly confused with "Lisbon", "Liston", "Leyton". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lesson"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lesson" is /ˈlɛs.ən/. 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 "lesson"?
From Middle English lessoun, from Old French leçon, from Latin lēctiō, lēctiōnem (“a reading”), from legō (“to read; to gather”). Doublet of lection. 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 "lesson", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

killer#3,176limits#3,178loving#3,179mirror#3,184

Similar misspelling depth

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

mount7 variantsgotten7 variantstears7 variantsaccused7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list