letch

/lɛt͡ʃ/

//lɛt͡ʃ// noun

"letch" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“letch” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Strong desire; passion.

Corpus desk

Index EN-letch · letch · English

letch · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "L" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for letch
PropertyValue
Headwordletch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/lɛt͡ʃ/
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “letch” in English

letchsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

letch is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /lɛt͡ʃ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

letch doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: See lech, lecher. The correct English form is letch, spelled L-E-T-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Strong desire; passion.
  2. 2
    A lecher.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Some people have a letch for unmasking impostors, or for avenging the wrongs of others.

Etymology

See lech, lecher.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "letch"?
"letch" is spelled L-E-T-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /lɛt͡ʃ/.
What does "letch" mean?
As a noun, "letch" means: Strong desire; passion.
How do you pronounce "letch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "letch" is /lɛt͡ʃ/. 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 "letch"?
See lech, lecher. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list