licensed

/ˈlaɪsənst/

//ˈlaɪsənst// adj

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

"licensed" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“licensed” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,434. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,434
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having been issued with a licence (by the required authority).

Corpus desk

Index EN-licensed · licensed · English

licensed · rank #5,434 · 12 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,434
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH lens

Nearest frequency peer: lens (-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 “licensed”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “licensed” 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).

licensed vs licensee
88% similar
licensed vs license
88% similar
licensed vs licence
75% similar

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

Key facts for licensed
PropertyValue
Headwordlicensed
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈlaɪsənst/
Letters8
Frequency rank#5,434
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “licensed”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).licensedlands 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 “lens” (#5,433), “loyalty” (#5,435), “lease” (#5,432). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “licensed” is #5,434. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around licensed (IPA /ˈlaɪsənst/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #5,434 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for licensed, with forms such as "ilcensed", "lciensed", and "liccensed". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "licensee", "license", "licence", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct English form is licensed, spelled L-I-C-E-N-S-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having been issued with a licence (by the required authority).
  2. 2
    Having been issued with a licence (by the required authority).
  3. 3
    Authorized by licence.
  4. 4
    Authorized by licence.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Only licensed exterminators can purchase rat poison in this state.
  2. The opening hours of licensed premises are restricted to prevent all-night drinking.

Antonyms

unlicensed

This word in other languages

licenciado(Español)lizenziert(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ilcensed
  • lciensed
  • liccensed
  • licenesd
  • licennsed
  • licensde
  • licensedd
  • licenssed
  • licesned
  • licnesed
  • liecnsed
  • llicensed

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of licensed - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ilcensed2lciensed2liccensed1licenesd2licennsed1licensde2licensedd1licenssed1
Edit distance from "licensed"

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 "licensed"?
"licensed" is spelled L-I-C-E-N-S-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlaɪsənst/.
What does "licensed" mean?
As an adjective, "licensed" means: Having been issued with a licence (by the required authority).
What words are commonly confused with "licensed"?
"licensed" is commonly confused with "licensee", "license", "licence". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "licensed"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "licensed" is /ˈlaɪsənst/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "licensed" come from?
"licensed" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 "licensed", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

magnetic#5,437invented#5,424reminded#5,448dressing#5,414

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

apologize12 variantsbenjamin12 variantsartistic12 variantsadoption12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list