lexicon

/ˈlɛk.sɪ.kən/

//ˈlɛk.sɪ.kən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“lexicon” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,453. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,453
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The vocabulary of a language.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lexicon · lexicon · English

lexicon · rank #25,453 · 10 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,453
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH lawfully

Nearest frequency peer: lawfully (-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 “lexicon”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lexicon” 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).

lexicon vs legion
71% similar
lexicon vs lesion
71% similar
lexicon vs lexical
71% similar

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

Key facts for lexicon
PropertyValue
Headwordlexicon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɛk.sɪ.kən/
Letters7
Frequency rank#25,453
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lexicon”

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).lexiconlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “lawfully” (#25,452), “licks” (#25,454), “Landry” (#25,451). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lexicon” is #25,453. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around lexicon (IPA /ˈlɛk.sɪ.kən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #25,453 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for lexicon, with forms such as "elxicon", "leixcon", and "lexcion". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "legion", "lesion", "lexical", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Through Middle French or directly from New Latin lexicon, from Byzantine Greek λεξικόν (lexikón, “a lexicon, a dictionary”), ellipsis from Ancient Greek λεξικὸν βιβλίον (lexikòn biblíon, literally “a book of words”), from λεξικός (lexikós, “of words”), from… The correct English form is lexicon, spelled L-E-X-I-C-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The vocabulary of a language.
  2. 2
    A dictionary that includes or focuses on lexemes.
  3. 3
    A dictionary of Classical Greek, Hebrew, Latin, or Aramaic.
  4. 4
    The lexicology of a programming language. (Usually called lexical structure.)
  5. 5
    Any dictionary.
  6. 6
    The vocabulary used by or known to an individual. (Also called lexical knowledge.)
  7. 7
    A set of vocabulary specific to a certain subject.
  8. 8
    A set of vocabulary specific to a certain subject.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Formalism seeks to correct this deficiency by translating verbal texts into formal, mathematizable lexicons which are then manipulated into general propositions.
  2. Sluiter examines a tension inherent in such scholarly works as lexica, scholia, epitomai, and commentaries: although the very titles of these works claim no more than secondary status, their authors engage nonetheless in a rhetoric of self-legitimation.

Etymology

Through Middle French or directly from New Latin lexicon, from Byzantine Greek λεξικόν (lexikón, “a lexicon, a dictionary”), ellipsis from Ancient Greek λεξικὸν βιβλίον (lexikòn biblíon, literally “a book of words”), from λεξικός (lexikós, “of words”), from λέξις (léxis, “a saying, speech, word”), from λέγω (légō, “to speak”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leǵ- (“to gather, collect”). Attested at least since 1583 (in William Fulke's A Defense of the Sincere and True Translations of the Holy Scriptures into the English tongue) in the sense 'a dictionary of a classical language'.

This word in other languages

léxico(Español)lexique(Français)Lexikon(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • elxicon
  • leixcon
  • lexcion
  • lexiccon
  • lexicno
  • lexiconn
  • lexiocn
  • lexxicon
  • llexicon
  • lxeicon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

elxicon2leixcon2lexcion2lexiccon1lexicno2lexiconn1lexiocn2lexxicon1
Edit distance from "lexicon"

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 "lexicon"?
"lexicon" is spelled L-E-X-I-C-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɛk.sɪ.kən/.
What does "lexicon" mean?
As a noun, "lexicon" means: The vocabulary of a language.
What words are commonly confused with "lexicon"?
"lexicon" is commonly confused with "legion", "lesion", "lexical". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lexicon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lexicon" is /ˈlɛk.sɪ.kən/. 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 "lexicon"?
Through Middle French or directly from New Latin lexicon, from Byzantine Greek λεξικόν (lexikón, “a lexicon, a dictionary”), ellipsis from Ancient Greek λεξικὸν βιβλίον (lexikòn biblíon, literally “a book of words”), from λεξικός (lexikós, “of wor... 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 "lexicon", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Kearney#25,446Lucknow#25,462ironing#25,429impeach#25,421

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

Landry10 variantsheathen10 variantsPalermo10 variantsGiuliani10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list