license

/ˈlaɪ.səns/

//ˈlaɪ.səns// noun

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

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

The verdict

“license” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,902. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,902
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A legal document giving official permission to do something; a permit.

Corpus desk

Index EN-license · license · English

license · rank #2,902 · 10 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,902
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Joseph

Nearest frequency peer: Joseph (-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 “license”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “license” 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).

license vs licensed
88% similar
license vs licensee
88% similar
license vs licensure
78% similar

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

Key facts for license
PropertyValue
Headwordlicense
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlaɪ.səns/
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,902
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “license”

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).licenselands 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 “Joseph” (#2,901), “paint” (#2,903), “introduction” (#2,900). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “license” is #2,902. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around license (IPA /ˈlaɪ.səns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,902 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for license, with forms such as "ilcense", "lciense", and "liccense". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "licensed", "licensee", "licensure", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English licence, licens, lisence, lissens, licance, from Old French licence, from Latin licentia (“license”), from licens, present participle of licere (“to be allowed, be allowable”); compare linquere, Ancient Greek λείπω (leípō, “leave”). The correct English form is license, spelled L-I-C-E-N-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A legal document giving official permission to do something; a permit.
  2. 2
    The legal terms under which a person is allowed to use a product, especially software.
  3. 3
    Freedom to deviate deliberately from normally applicable rules or practices (especially in behaviour or speech).
  4. 4
    Excessive freedom; lack of due restraint.
  5. 5
    Ellipsis of driver's license.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Hello. I would like to buy a fish licence please.
  2. Thus, while the license will grant the user the right to use the software, a major concern is the scope of that use. For example, will the user be granted the right to copy, modify, or transfer the software?

Etymology

From Middle English licence, licens, lisence, lissens, licance, from Old French licence, from Latin licentia (“license”), from licens, present participle of licere (“to be allowed, be allowable”); compare linquere, Ancient Greek λείπω (leípō, “leave”).

This word in other languages

licencia(Español)licence(Français)Lizenz(Deutsch)alvará(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ilcense
  • lciense
  • liccense
  • licenes
  • licennse
  • licensse
  • licesne
  • licnese
  • liecnse
  • llicense

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ilcense2lciense2liccense1licenes2licennse1licensse1licesne2licnese2
Edit distance from "license"

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 "license"?
"license" is spelled L-I-C-E-N-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlaɪ.səns/.
What does "license" mean?
As a noun, "license" means: A legal document giving official permission to do something; a permit.
What words are commonly confused with "license"?
"license" is commonly confused with "licensed", "licensee", "licensure". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "license"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "license" is /ˈlaɪ.səns/. 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 "license"?
From Middle English licence, licens, lisence, lissens, licance, from Old French licence, from Latin licentia (“license”), from licens, present participle of licere (“to be allowed, be allowable”); compare linquere, Ancient Greek λείπω (leípō, “lea... 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 "license", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

fantasy#2,894experts#2,891engaged#2,890seasons#2,914

Similar misspelling depth

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

immediate10 variantssuffered10 variantssurvive10 variantsadopted10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list