lexical

/ˈlɛksɪkəl/

//ˈlɛksɪkəl// adj

"lexical" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lexical” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,719 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#29,719
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Concerning the vocabulary, words, sentences or morphemes of a language.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lexical vs logical
71% similar
lexical vs lyrical
71% similar
lexical vs lexicon
71% similar

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

Key facts for lexical
PropertyValue
Headwordlexical
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈlɛksɪkəl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#29,719
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lexical” 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). lexical 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 lexical is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈlɛksɪkəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,719 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for lexical, with forms such as "elxical", "leixcal", and "lexcial". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "logical", "lyrical", "lexicon", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin lexis, from Ancient Greek λέξις (léxis, “word”) + -al. The correct English form is lexical, spelled L-E-X-I-C-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Concerning the vocabulary, words, sentences or morphemes of a language.
  2. 2
    Concerning lexicography or a lexicon or dictionary.
  3. 3
    Denoting a content word as opposed to a function word.
  4. 4
    Relating to alphabetical order or a generalization thereof.

Etymology

From Latin lexis, from Ancient Greek λέξις (léxis, “word”) + -al.

Synonyms

lexic

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: elxical,leixcal,lexcial,lexiacl,lexicall,lexiccal,lexicla,lexxical,llexical,lxeical

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

elxical2leixcal2lexcial2lexiacl2lexicall1lexiccal1lexicla2lexxical1
Edit distance from "lexical"

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 "lexical"?
"lexical" is spelled L-E-X-I-C-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɛksɪkəl/.
What does "lexical" mean?
As an adjective, "lexical" means: Concerning the vocabulary, words, sentences or morphemes of a language.
What words are commonly confused with "lexical"?
"lexical" is commonly confused with "logical", "lyrical", "lexicon". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lexical"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lexical" is /ˈlɛksɪkəl/. 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 "lexical"?
From Latin lexis, from Ancient Greek λέξις (léxis, “word”) + -al. 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 “lexical”

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

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