licker

/ˈlɪkɚ/

//ˈlɪkɚ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“licker” is uncommon English (frequency #69,207 among 16,425 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#69,207
frequency rank, English
16,425
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Someone or something that licks.

Key facts for licker
PropertyValue
Headwordlicker
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɪkɚ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#69,207
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “licker” 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). licker lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

licker is uncommon English at frequency #69,207 among 16,425 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈlɪkɚ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Someone or something that licks.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for licker, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English likkere, lykkare, equivalent to lick + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Läkker, Dutch likker, German Low German Licker, German Lecker. The correct English form is licker, spelled L-I-C-K-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone or something that licks.

Etymology

From Middle English likkere, lykkare, equivalent to lick + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Läkker, Dutch likker, German Low German Licker, German Lecker.

This word in other languages

lécheur(Français)Lecker(Deutsch)

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 "licker"?
"licker" is spelled L-I-C-K-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɪkɚ/.
What does "licker" mean?
As a noun, "licker" means: Someone or something that licks.
How do you pronounce "licker"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "licker" is /ˈlɪkɚ/. 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 "licker"?
From Middle English likkere, lykkare, equivalent to lick + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Läkker, Dutch likker, German Low German Licker, German Lecker. 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 “licker”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-I-C-K-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈlɪkɚ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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