lethargy

/ˈlɛθ.ə(ɹ).d͡ʒi/

//ˈlɛθ.ə(ɹ).d͡ʒi// noun

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

"lethargy" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lethargy” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,236. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,236
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A state of extreme torpor, sopor or apathy, especially with lack of emotion, energy or enthusiasm; (loosely) sluggishness, laziness.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lethargy · lethargy · English

lethargy · rank #42,236 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #42,236
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH leprechaun

Nearest frequency peer: leprechaun (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “lethargy”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “lethargy” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

lethargy vs lethargic
78% similar

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

Key facts for lethargy
PropertyValue
Headwordlethargy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɛθ.ə(ɹ).d͡ʒi/
Letters8
Frequency rank#42,236
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lethargy”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).lethargylands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “leprechaun” (#42,235), “leger” (#42,234), “LIC” (#42,238). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lethargy” is #42,236. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around lethargy (IPA /ˈlɛθ.ə(ɹ).d͡ʒi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,236 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for lethargy, with forms such as "elthargy", "lehtargy", and "letahrgy". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "lethargic", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English litargie, from Medieval Latin litargia, from Late Latin lēthārgia, borrowed from Ancient Greek ληθᾱργῐ́ᾱ (lēthārgĭ́ā, “drowsiness”), from λήθᾱργος (lḗthārgos, “forgetful, lethargic”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, adjectival suffix). The correct English form is lethargy, spelled L-E-T-H-A-R-G-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A state of extreme torpor, sopor or apathy, especially with lack of emotion, energy or enthusiasm; (loosely) sluggishness, laziness.
  2. 2
    A condition characterized by extreme fatigue or drowsiness, deep unresponsiveness, or prolonged sleep patterns.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Europe lay then under a deep lethargy.
  2. Gradually the darkened room seems to emerge from its shadows; familiar objects strike upon the senses—and memory is never so terribly distinct as on its first reviving from such momentary lethargy.

Etymology

From Middle English litargie, from Medieval Latin litargia, from Late Latin lēthārgia, borrowed from Ancient Greek ληθᾱργῐ́ᾱ (lēthārgĭ́ā, “drowsiness”), from λήθᾱργος (lḗthārgos, “forgetful, lethargic”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, adjectival suffix).

This word in other languages

letargo(Español)léthargie(Français)Trägheit(Deutsch)letargia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • elthargy
  • lehtargy
  • letahrgy
  • lethagry
  • letharggy
  • lethargyy
  • letharrgy
  • letharyg
  • lethhargy
  • lethragy
  • letthargy
  • llethargy
  • ltehargy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

elthargy2lehtargy2letahrgy2lethagry2letharggy1lethargyy1letharrgy1letharyg2
Edit distance from "lethargy"

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 "lethargy"?
"lethargy" is spelled L-E-T-H-A-R-G-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɛθ.ə(ɹ).d͡ʒi/.
What does "lethargy" mean?
As a noun, "lethargy" means: A state of extreme torpor, sopor or apathy, especially with lack of emotion, energy or enthusiasm; (loosely) sluggishness, laziness.
What words are commonly confused with "lethargy"?
"lethargy" is commonly confused with "lethargic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lethargy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lethargy" is /ˈlɛθ.ə(ɹ).d͡ʒi/. 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 "lethargy"?
From Middle English litargie, from Medieval Latin litargia, from Late Latin lēthārgia, borrowed from Ancient Greek ληθᾱργῐ́ᾱ (lēthārgĭ́ā, “drowsiness”), from λήθᾱργος (lḗthārgos, “forgetful, lethargic”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, adjectival suffix). 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 "lethargy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

lakeview#42,230littoral#42,245madhouse#42,251Marianna#42,258

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

lifeblood13 variantsmidseason13 variantshumongous13 variantsmunchkin13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list