liaise

/liːˈeɪz/

//liːˈeɪz// verb

"liaise" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“liaise” is uncommon English (frequency #52,455 among 2,297 “L” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,455
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To establish a liaison.

Corpus desk

Index EN-liaise · liaise · English

liaise · rank #52,455 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,455
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Liaoning

Nearest frequency peer: Liaoning (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “liaise”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “liaise” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for liaise
PropertyValue
Headwordliaise
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/liːˈeɪz/
Letters6
Frequency rank#52,455
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “liaise” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).liaisefalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Liaoning” (#52,456), “libertine” (#52,457), “leng” (#52,452). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “liaise” is #52,455. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

liaise is uncommon English at frequency #52,455 among 2,297 “L” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /liːˈeɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for liaise in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from liaison, itself from French liaison (“binding”). The correct English form is liaise, spelled L-I-A-I-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To establish a liaison.
  2. 2
    To act between parties with a view to reconciling differences.
  3. 3
    To cooperate, consult and discuss in order to come to a common solution.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. As of May 12, Crossrail was liaising with contractors to enable physical work at stations to restart. This had been suspended on March 24 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Etymology

Back-formation from liaison, itself from French liaison (“binding”).

This word in other languages

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 "liaise"?
"liaise" is spelled L-I-A-I-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /liːˈeɪz/.
What does "liaise" mean?
As a verb, "liaise" means: To establish a liaison.
How do you pronounce "liaise"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "liaise" is /liːˈeɪz/. 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 "liaise"?
Back-formation from liaison, itself from French liaison (“binding”). 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 "liaise", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list