let

/lɛt/

//lɛt// verb

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

"let" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“let” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #228 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#228
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

let vs li
33% similar
let vs Lt
33% similar
let vs lo
33% similar

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

Key facts for let
PropertyValue
Headwordlet
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/lɛt/
Letters3
Frequency rank#228
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “let” 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). let 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 let is 3 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /lɛt/. Corpus data places it at rank #228 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for let in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "li", "Lt", "lo", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Derived from Middle English leten, læten, from Old English lǣtan (“to allow, let go, bequeath, leave, rent”), from Proto-West Germanic *lātan, from Proto-Germanic *lētaną (“to leave behind, allow”), from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- (“to be tired, leave”). C… The correct English form is let, spelled L-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to).
  2. 2
    To allow to be or do without interference; to not disturb or meddle with; to leave alone.
  3. 3
    To allow the release of (a fluid).
  4. 4
    To allow possession of (a property etc.) in exchange for rent.
  5. 5
    To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; often with out.
  6. 6
    Used to introduce a first or third person imperative verb construction.
  7. 7
    To cause (+ bare infinitive).

Etymology

Derived from Middle English leten, læten, from Old English lǣtan (“to allow, let go, bequeath, leave, rent”), from Proto-West Germanic *lātan, from Proto-Germanic *lētaną (“to leave behind, allow”), from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- (“to be tired, leave”). Cognates Cognate with Scots lat, lete (“to let, leave”), Yola leth (“let”), North Frisian leet, let, lätje (“to let”), Bavarian låssn (“to let”), Dutch, Low German laten (“to let, leave”), German lassen, laßen (“to let, leave, allow”), Luxembourgish loossen (“to let, leave”), Yiddish לאָזן (lozn, “to let”), Danish lade (“to let, allow, leave”), Faroese, Icelandic láta (“to let”), Norwegian Bokmål la (“to let, leave”), Norwegian Nynorsk la, lata, late (“let, allow”), Swedish låta (“to let, allow, leave”), Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐍄𐌰𐌽 (lētan, “to let”), Albanian lë (“to allow, let, leave”) and partially related to French laisser (“to let”).

Synonyms

allowpermit

This word in other languages

permitir(Español)laisser(Français)lassen(Deutsch)deixar(Português)

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 "let"?
"let" is spelled L-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /lɛt/.
What does "let" mean?
As a verb, "let" means: To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to).
What words are commonly confused with "let"?
"let" is commonly confused with "li", "Lt", "lo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "let"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "let" is /lɛt/. 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 "let"?
Derived from Middle English leten, læten, from Old English lǣtan (“to allow, let go, bequeath, leave, rent”), from Proto-West Germanic *lātan, from Proto-Germanic *lētaną (“to leave behind, allow”), from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- (“to be tired, ... 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 “let”

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

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