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PlainSpell

let

/lɛt/verb, noun

let is spelled L-E-T: 3 letters and one syllable. It appears 398 times per million words in written English, the 227th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, let means “To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in let?

Letters3: L-E-T
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing398 times per million words; the 227th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Sounds like
Same letters

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is let?

Let appears 398 times per million words in written English, the 227th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce let?

  • /lɛt/

Let has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-let.wav, En-us-let.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl--let.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with let

Sounds like: Lett (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).

Also written: lett.

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

What rhymes with let?

No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as let.

Spelled with the same letters in another order: tel, elt.

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of let

  • lets present, singular, he/she/it, plural
  • letting participle, present
  • letted past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does let mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

verb

  1. 1

    To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to).

    After he knocked for hours, I decided to let him come in.

  2. 2

    To allow to be or do without interference; to not disturb or meddle with; to leave alone.

    Let me be!

  3. 3

    To allow the release of (a fluid).

    The physicians let about a pint of his blood, but to no avail.

  4. 4

    UKTo allow possession of (a property etc.) in exchange for rent.

    I decided to let the farmhouse to a couple while I was working abroad.

  5. 5

    To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; often with out.

    to let the building of a bridge;  to let out the lathing and the plastering

  6. 6

    Used to introduce a first or third person imperative verb construction.

    Let's put on a show!

  7. 7

    To cause (+ bare infinitive).

    Can you let me know what time you'll be arriving?

  8. 8

    archaicTo hinder, prevent, impede, hamper, cumber; to obstruct (someone or something).

  9. 9

    obsoleteTo prevent someone from doing something; also to prevent something from happening.

  10. 10

    obsoleteTo tarry or delay.

noun

  1. 1

    The allowing of possession of a property etc. in exchange for rent.

  2. 2

    obsoleteAn obstacle or hindrance.

    without let or hindrance

  3. 3

    The hindrance caused by the net during serve, only if the ball falls legally.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Let in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchlaisser (allow), louer (put up for rent), filet (hindrance caused by the net during serve at…)
Germanlassen (allow), Netzball (hindrance caused by the net during serve at…), zurücklassen, verlassen (leave), ablassen, herauslaufen lassen (allow the release of (a fluid))
Portuguesedeixar, permitir, ir (allow), alugar (put up for rent), obstáculo (hindrance)
Spanishpermitir, dejar (allow), alquilar, arrendar (put up for rent)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does let come from?

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”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after let