lilac

/ˈlaɪlək/

//ˈlaɪlək// noun

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

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

The verdict

“lilac” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,119. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,119
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lilac · lilac · English

lilac · rank #25,119 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,119
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH limelight

Nearest frequency peer: limelight (+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 “lilac”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lilac” 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).

lilac vs LLC
0% similar
lilac vs Lisa
40% similar
lilac vs lily
60% similar

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

Key facts for lilac
PropertyValue
Headwordlilac
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlaɪlək/
Letters5
Frequency rank#25,119
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lilac”

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).lilaclands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “limelight” (#25,120), “leveraged” (#25,117), “lister” (#25,121). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lilac” is #25,119. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around lilac (IPA /ˈlaɪlək/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #25,119 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 lilac, with forms such as "illac", "lialc", and "lilacc". 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, "LLC", "Lisa", "lily", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From obsolete French lilac (now lilas), from Arabic لِيلَك (līlak). The correct English form is lilac, spelled L-I-L-A-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers.
  2. 2
    A flower of the lilac shrub.
  3. 3
    A pale purple color, the color of some lilac flowers.
  4. 4
    A cat having a lilac-colored (pale brown) coat.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Breezes blowing from beds of iris quickened her breath with their perfume; she saw the tufted lilacs sway in the wind, and the streamers of mauve-tinted wistaria swinging, all a-glisten with golden bees; she saw a crimson cardinal winging through the foliage, and amorous tanagers flashing like scarlet flames athwart the pines.
  2. […] O death, I cover you over with roses and early lilies, / But mostly and now the lilac that blooms the first, / Copious I break, I break the sprigs from the bushes, / With loaded arms I come, pouring for you, / For you and the coffins all of you O death.

Etymology

From obsolete French lilac (now lilas), from Arabic لِيلَك (līlak).

This word in other languages

lila(Español)lilas(Français)Flieder(Deutsch)lilás(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • illac
  • lialc
  • lilacc
  • lilca
  • lillac
  • lliac
  • llilac

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of lilac - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

illac2lialc2lilacc1lilca2lillac1lliac2llilac1
Edit distance from "lilac"

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 "lilac"?
"lilac" is spelled L-I-L-A-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlaɪlək/.
What does "lilac" mean?
As a noun, "lilac" means: A large shrub of the genus Syringa, especially Syringa vulgaris, bearing white, pale-pink, or purple flowers.
What words are commonly confused with "lilac"?
"lilac" is commonly confused with "LLC", "Lisa", "lily". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lilac"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lilac" is /ˈlaɪlək/. 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 "lilac"?
From obsolete French lilac (now lilas), from Arabic لِيلَك (līlak). 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 "lilac", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Kayla#25,112Karan#25,111Mayan#25,134Minsk#25,141

Similar misspelling depth

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

mules7 variantspadre7 variantsPavel7 variantsfleas7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list