lethargic

/ləˈθɑɹd͡ʒɪk/

//ləˈθɑɹd͡ʒɪk// adj

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

"lethargic" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lethargic” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #38,015 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#38,015
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Sluggish, slow.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lethargic vs lethargy
78% similar

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

Key facts for lethargic
PropertyValue
Headwordlethargic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ləˈθɑɹd͡ʒɪk/
Letters9
Frequency rank#38,015
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lethargic” 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). lethargic 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 lethargic is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ləˈθɑɹd͡ʒɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #38,015 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for lethargic, with forms such as "elthargic", "lehtargic", and "letahrgic". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "lethargy", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ληθαργικός (lēthargikós), from λήθαργος (lḗthargos, “forgetful, lethargic”), from λήθη (lḗthē, “a forgetting, forgetfulness”) (from which Lethe (“river in Hades”)) + ἀργός (argós, “not working”). By surface analysis, let… The correct English form is lethargic, spelled L-E-T-H-A-R-G-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sluggish, slow.
  2. 2
    Indifferent, apathetic.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ληθαργικός (lēthargikós), from λήθαργος (lḗthargos, “forgetful, lethargic”), from λήθη (lḗthē, “a forgetting, forgetfulness”) (from which Lethe (“river in Hades”)) + ἀργός (argós, “not working”). By surface analysis, lethargy + -ic.

This word in other languages

tardo(Español)mollasson(Français)träge(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: elthargic,lehtargic,letahrgic,lethagric,lethargci,letharggic,lethargicc,letharigc,letharrgic,lethhargic,lethragic,letthargic,llethargic,ltehargic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of lethargic - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

elthargic2lehtargic2letahrgic2lethagric2lethargci2letharggic1lethargicc1letharigc2
Edit distance from "lethargic"

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 "lethargic"?
"lethargic" is spelled L-E-T-H-A-R-G-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ləˈθɑɹd͡ʒɪk/.
What does "lethargic" mean?
As an adjective, "lethargic" means: Sluggish, slow.
What words are commonly confused with "lethargic"?
"lethargic" is commonly confused with "lethargy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lethargic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lethargic" is /ləˈθɑɹd͡ʒɪk/. 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 "lethargic"?
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ληθαργικός (lēthargikós), from λήθαργος (lḗthargos, “forgetful, lethargic”), from λήθη (lḗthē, “a forgetting, forgetfulness”) (from which Lethe (“river in Hades”)) + ἀργός (argós, “not working”). By surface ana... 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 “lethargic”

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

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