liken

/ˈlaɪk(ə)n/

//ˈlaɪk(ə)n// verb

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

"liken" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“liken” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #48,864. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#48,864
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Followed by to or (archaic) unto: to regard or state that (someone or something) is like another person or thing; to compare.

Corpus desk

Index EN-liken · liken · English

liken · rank #48,864 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #48,864
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH linker

Nearest frequency peer: linker (+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 “liken”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “liken” 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).

liken vs lin
60% similar
liken vs live
60% similar
liken vs line
60% similar

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

Key facts for liken
PropertyValue
Headwordliken
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈlaɪk(ə)n/
Letters5
Frequency rank#48,864
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “liken”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).likenlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “linker” (#48,865), “Leyton” (#48,862), “Lismore” (#48,866). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “liken” is #48,864. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around liken (IPA /ˈlaɪk(ə)n/), averb. Corpus frequency is #48,864 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for liken, with forms such as "ilken", "liekn", and "likenn". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "lin", "live", "line", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English liknen (“to be comparable; to compare (often disparagingly); to make (someone) equal to another person; to regard (something) as equal to another thing; to regard (something) as likely; to resemble; to take (something) as a substitute; t… The correct English form is liken, spelled L-I-K-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Followed by to or (archaic) unto: to regard or state that (someone or something) is like another person or thing; to compare.
  2. 2
    Chiefly followed by to: to make (oneself, someone, or something) resemble another person or thing.
  3. 3
    To represent or symbolize (something).
  4. 4
    Followed by to: to be like or resemble; also, to become like.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The physics teacher likened the effect of mass on space to an indentation in a sheet of rubber.
  2. And vvell may the preacher and plovvman be likened together: Firſt, for their labour in all ſeaſons of the year; for there is no time of the year in vvhich the ploughman hath not ſome ſpecial vvork to do. […] And then they alſo may be likened together for the diverſity of vvorks, and variety of offices that they have to do.

Etymology

From Middle English liknen (“to be comparable; to compare (often disparagingly); to make (someone) equal to another person; to regard (something) as equal to another thing; to regard (something) as likely; to resemble; to take (something) as a substitute; to apply, be adapted or suitable; to tend (to sin)”) [and other forms], from liken (“to be comparable; to compare; to be appropriate; to form”), from lik (“alike, analogous, similar; appropriate, suitable; equal; homogeneous; identical, the same; indicative; likely (to be or do something), probable; possible; simultaneous; more or most like (?)”) + -en (suffix forming infinitives of verbs). Lik is derived from Old English ġelīċ (“like, similar”), from Proto-Germanic *galīkaz (“like, similar; equal”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *leyg- (“like, similar; even, level”). The English word is analysable as like (adjective) + -en (suffix forming verbs with the sense ‘to make [adjective]’).

This word in other languages

comparar(Español)comparer(Français)vergleichen(Deutsch)comparar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ilken
  • liekn
  • likenn
  • likken
  • likne
  • lkien
  • lliken

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of liken - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ilken2liekn2likenn1likken1likne2lkien2lliken1
Edit distance from "liken"

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 "liken"?
"liken" is spelled L-I-K-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlaɪk(ə)n/.
What does "liken" mean?
As a verb, "liken" means: Followed by to or (archaic) unto: to regard or state that (someone or something) is like another person or thing; to compare.
What words are commonly confused with "liken"?
"liken" is commonly confused with "lin", "live", "line". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "liken"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "liken" is /ˈlaɪk(ə)n/. 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 "liken"?
From Middle English liknen (“to be comparable; to compare (often disparagingly); to make (someone) equal to another person; to regard (something) as equal to another thing; to regard (something) as likely; to resemble; to take (something) as a sub... 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 "liken", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

lemur#48,861Lanza#48,855Laney#48,854knead#48,850

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Meath7 variantsIrfan7 variantsnarco7 variantsIDGAF7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list