licorice

/ˈlɪ.k(ə).ɹɪʃ/

//ˈlɪ.k(ə).ɹɪʃ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“licorice” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,959. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,959
frequency rank, English
16,425
“L” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A plant of species Glycyrrhiza glabra, or sometimes in North America, the related American licorice plant Glycyrrhiza lepidota.

Key facts for licorice
PropertyValue
Headwordlicorice
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɪ.k(ə).ɹɪʃ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#34,959
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “licorice” 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). licorice lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around licorice (IPA /ˈlɪ.k(ə).ɹɪʃ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #34,959 among 16,425 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for licorice, with forms such as "ilcorice", "lciorice", and "liccorice". 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. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English lycorys, from Old French licoresse, from Late Latin liquiritia, alteration of Ancient Greek γλυκύρριζα (glukúrrhiza): γλυκύς (glukús, “sweet”) + ῥίζα (rhíza, “root”) (English glucose, English rhizome). Doublet of glycyrrhiza. The correct English form is licorice, spelled L-I-C-O-R-I-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A plant of species Glycyrrhiza glabra, or sometimes in North America, the related American licorice plant Glycyrrhiza lepidota.
  2. 2
    A type of candy made from that plant's dried root or its extract.
  3. 3
    A black color, named after the licorice.
  4. 4
    A flavoring agent made from dried root portions of the aforementioned plant.
  5. 5
    A supposed aphrodisiac made in the past from dried roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra and Glycyrrhiza echinata.

Etymology

From Middle English lycorys, from Old French licoresse, from Late Latin liquiritia, alteration of Ancient Greek γλυκύρριζα (glukúrrhiza): γλυκύς (glukús, “sweet”) + ῥίζα (rhíza, “root”) (English glucose, English rhizome). Doublet of glycyrrhiza.

This word in other languages

regaliz(Español)réglisse(Français)Süßholz(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ilcorice
  • lciorice
  • liccorice
  • licoirce
  • licorcie
  • licoricce
  • licoriec
  • licorrice
  • licroice
  • liocrice
  • llicorice

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ilcorice2lciorice2liccorice1licoirce2licorcie2licoricce1licoriec2licorrice1
Edit distance from "licorice"

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 "licorice"?
"licorice" is spelled L-I-C-O-R-I-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɪ.k(ə).ɹɪʃ/.
What does "licorice" mean?
As a noun, "licorice" means: A plant of species Glycyrrhiza glabra, or sometimes in North America, the related American licorice plant Glycyrrhiza lepidota.
What are common misspellings of "licorice"?
Common misspellings include "ilcorice", "lciorice", "liccorice", "licoirce", "licorcie". The correct spelling is "licorice".
How do you pronounce "licorice"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "licorice" is /ˈlɪ.k(ə).ɹɪʃ/. 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 "licorice"?
From Middle English lycorys, from Old French licoresse, from Late Latin liquiritia, alteration of Ancient Greek γλυκύρριζα (glukúrrhiza): γλυκύς (glukús, “sweet”) + ῥίζα (rhíza, “root”) (English glucose, English rhizome). Doublet of glycyrrhiza. 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 “licorice”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-I-C-O-R-I-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈlɪ.k(ə).ɹɪʃ/ (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

Same frequency band

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