like

/laɪ̯k/

//laɪ̯k// verb

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

"like" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“like” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #42 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#42
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

like vs lit
50% similar
like vs lip
50% similar
like vs lil
50% similar

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

Key facts for like
PropertyValue
Headwordlike
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/laɪ̯k/
Letters4
Frequency rank#42
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “like” 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). like 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 like is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /laɪ̯k/. Corpus data places it at rank #42 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for like, with forms such as "ilke", "liek", and "likke". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "lit", "lip", "lil", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Verb from Middle English liken, from Old English līcian (“to like, to please”), from Proto-West Germanic *līkēn, from Proto-Germanic *līkāną, from Proto-Indo-European *leyg- (“image; likeness; similarity”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian liekje (“to be simi… The correct English form is like, spelled L-I-K-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of.
  2. 2
    To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of.
  3. 3
    To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of.
  4. 4
    To prefer and maintain (an action) as a regular habit or activity.
  5. 5
    To find attractive; to prefer the company of; to have mild romantic feelings for.
  6. 6
    To want, desire. See also would like.
  7. 7
    To show support for, or approval of, something posted on the Internet by marking it with a vote.
  8. 8
    Of inanimate objects:
  9. 9
    Of inanimate objects:
  10. 10
    To come near; to avoid with difficulty; to escape narrowly.
  11. 11
    To have an appearance or expression; to look; to seem to be (in a specified condition).
  12. 12
    To liken; to compare.

Etymology

Verb from Middle English liken, from Old English līcian (“to like, to please”), from Proto-West Germanic *līkēn, from Proto-Germanic *līkāną, from Proto-Indo-European *leyg- (“image; likeness; similarity”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian liekje (“to be similar, resemble”), West Frisian lykje (“to seem, appear, look”), Dutch lijken (“to seem”), Low German lieken (“to be like; resemble”), German gleichen (“to resemble”), Swedish lika (“to like; put up with; align with”), Norwegian like (“to like”), Icelandic and Faroese líka (“to like”). Noun from Middle English like (“pleasure, will, like”), from the verb Middle English liken (“to like”).

This word in other languages

gustar(Español)aimer(Français)mögen(Deutsch)gostar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ilke,liek,likke,lkie,llike

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ilke2liek2likke1lkie2llike1
Edit distance from "like"

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 "like"?
"like" is spelled L-I-K-E. The IPA pronunciation is /laɪ̯k/.
What does "like" mean?
As a verb, "like" means: To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of.
What words are commonly confused with "like"?
"like" is commonly confused with "lit", "lip", "lil". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "like"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "like" is /laɪ̯k/. 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 "like"?
Verb from Middle English liken, from Old English līcian (“to like, to please”), from Proto-West Germanic *līkēn, from Proto-Germanic *līkāną, from Proto-Indo-European *leyg- (“image; likeness; similarity”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian liekje (“... 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 “like”

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

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