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” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of.

Corpus desk

Index EN-like · like · English

like · rank #42 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #42
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH just

Nearest frequency peer: just (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “like”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “like” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

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

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).likelands 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 “just” (#41), “about” (#43), “will” (#40). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around like (IPA /laɪ̯k/), averb. Corpus frequency is #42 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I like reading books.
  2. I very much like hamburgers.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "like", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

just#41will#40what#46when#48

Similar misspelling depth

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

more5 variantswere5 variantsyour5 variantsit's5 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "like". Here's where to go from here.

  • "like" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "lit". View pair
  • 5 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #42 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "L" letter cohort. L–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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