lest

/lɛst/

//lɛst// conj

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

"lest" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lest” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,158. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,158
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - For fear that; that not; in order to prevent something from happening; in case.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lest · lest · English

lest · rank #14,158 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,158
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH lax

Nearest frequency peer: lax (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “lest”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “lest” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

lest vs Lt
25% similar
lest vs Ls
25% similar
lest vs lot
50% similar

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

Key facts for lest
PropertyValue
Headwordlest
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechConjunction
IPA/lɛst/
Letters4
Frequency rank#14,158
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lest” sits in English frequency

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).lest lands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around lest (IPA /lɛst/), aconjunction. Corpus frequency is #14,158 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for lest, with forms such as "elst", "lesst", and "lestt". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Lt", "Ls", "lot", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: c. 1200, contracted from Middle English les te (“less that”), from Old English þȳ lǣs þe (“whereby less that”), from þȳ (instrumental case of demonstrative article þæt (“that”)) + lǣs (“less”) + þe (“that,” relative particle). The þȳ was dropped and the rem… The correct English form is lest, spelled L-E-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    For fear that; that not; in order to prevent something from happening; in case.
  2. 2
    that (without the negative particle; introduces the reason for an emotion.)

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He won't go outside, lest he be eaten by those ravenous eagles.
  2. I brought my notes lest faulty memory lead me astray.

Etymology

c. 1200, contracted from Middle English les te (“less that”), from Old English þȳ lǣs þe (“whereby less that”), from þȳ (instrumental case of demonstrative article þæt (“that”)) + lǣs (“less”) + þe (“that,” relative particle). The þȳ was dropped and the remaining two words contracted into leste.

This word in other languages

de peur que(Français)bevor(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • elst
  • lesst
  • lestt
  • llest
  • lset

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

elst2lesst1lestt1llest1lset2
Edit distance from "lest"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "lest"?
"lest" is spelled L-E-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /lɛst/.
What does "lest" mean?
As a conjunction, "lest" means: For fear that; that not; in order to prevent something from happening; in case.
What words are commonly confused with "lest"?
"lest" is commonly confused with "Lt", "Ls", "lot". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lest"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lest" is /lɛst/. 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 "lest"?
c. 1200, contracted from Middle English les te (“less that”), from Old English þȳ lǣs þe (“whereby less that”), from þȳ (instrumental case of demonstrative article þæt (“that”)) + lǣs (“less”) + þe (“that,” relative particle). The þȳ was dropped a... 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 "lest", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Levi#14,159Lara#14,155ming#14,168mona#14,171

Similar misspelling depth

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

Jaime5 variantscasa5 variantsCain5 variantsvase5 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "lest". Here's where to go from here.

  • "lest" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "Lt". View pair
  • 5 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #14,158 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "L" letter cohort. L–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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