liaison

/liˈeɪˌzɒ̃/

//liˈeɪˌzɒ̃// noun

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

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

The verdict

“liaison” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,378 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,378
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A thickening for sauces, typically based on egg yolks.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

liaison vs Lawson
57% similar
liaison vs Larson
57% similar

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

Key facts for liaison
PropertyValue
Headwordliaison
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/liˈeɪˌzɒ̃/
Letters7
Frequency rank#13,378
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “liaison” 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). liaison 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 liaison is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /liˈeɪˌzɒ̃/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,378 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for liaison, with forms such as "ilaison", "laiison", and "liaiosn". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "Lawson", "Larson", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French liaison (“binding”), from Latin ligātiō (stem ligātiōn-; whence the English doublet ligation), derived from ligō (“I bind”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind”). The correct English form is liaison, spelled L-I-A-I-S-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A thickening for sauces, typically based on egg yolks.
  2. 2
    Communication between two parties or groups.
  3. 3
    Cooperation, working together.
  4. 4
    A relayer of information between two forces in an army or during war.
  5. 5
    Any person who relays information between two groups or organizations.
  6. 6
    A tryst; a romantic meeting.
  7. 7
    An illicit sexual relationship or affair.
  8. 8
    Fusion of two consecutive words and the manner in which this occurs.
  9. 9
    Fusion of two consecutive words and the manner in which this occurs.

Etymology

Borrowed from French liaison (“binding”), from Latin ligātiō (stem ligātiōn-; whence the English doublet ligation), derived from ligō (“I bind”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind”).

This word in other languages

aventura(Español)liaison(Français)Zusammenarbeit(Deutsch)ligação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ilaison,laiison,liaiosn,liaisno,liaisonn,liaisson,liasion,liiason,lliaison

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ilaison2laiison2liaiosn2liaisno2liaisonn1liaisson1liasion2liiason2
Edit distance from "liaison"

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 "liaison"?
"liaison" is spelled L-I-A-I-S-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /liˈeɪˌzɒ̃/.
What does "liaison" mean?
As a noun, "liaison" means: A thickening for sauces, typically based on egg yolks.
What words are commonly confused with "liaison"?
"liaison" is commonly confused with "Lawson", "Larson". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "liaison"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "liaison" is /liˈeɪˌzɒ̃/. 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 "liaison"?
Borrowed from French liaison (“binding”), from Latin ligātiō (stem ligātiōn-; whence the English doublet ligation), derived from ligō (“I bind”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyǵ- (“to bind”). 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 “liaison”

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

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