limb

/lɪm/

//lɪm// noun

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

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

The verdict

“limb” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,244 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#11,244
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A major appendage of human or animal, used for locomotion (such as an arm, leg or wing).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

limb vs LM
0% similar
limb vs lit
50% similar
limb vs lip
50% similar

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

Key facts for limb
PropertyValue
Headwordlimb
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/lɪm/
Letters4
Frequency rank#11,244
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “limb” 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). limb 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 limb is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /lɪm/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,244 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for limb, with forms such as "ilmb", "libm", and "limbb". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "LM", "lit", "lip", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English lyme, lim, from Old English lim (“limb, branch”), from Proto-West Germanic *limu, from Proto-Germanic *limuz (“branch, limb”). Cognate with Old Norse limr (“limb”). The spelling with the silent unetymological -b first arose in the late 1… The correct English form is limb, spelled L-I-M-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    A major appendage of human or animal, used for locomotion (such as an arm, leg or wing).
  2. 2
    A branch of a tree.
  3. 3
    The part of the bow, from the handle to the tip.
  4. 4
    An elementary piece of the mechanism of a lock.
  5. 5
    A thing or person regarded as a part or member of, or attachment to, something else.
  6. 6
    Ellipsis of limb of Satan (“a wicked or mischievous child”).

Etymology

From Middle English lyme, lim, from Old English lim (“limb, branch”), from Proto-West Germanic *limu, from Proto-Germanic *limuz (“branch, limb”). Cognate with Old Norse limr (“limb”). The spelling with the silent unetymological -b first arose in the late 1500s. Compare crumb.

Synonyms

limb

This word in other languages

miembro(Español)membre(Français)Glied(Deutsch)galho(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ilmb,libm,limbb,limmb,llimb,lmib

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ilmb2libm2limbb1limmb1llimb1lmib2
Edit distance from "limb"

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 "limb"?
"limb" is spelled L-I-M-B. The IPA pronunciation is /lɪm/.
What does "limb" mean?
As a noun, "limb" means: A major appendage of human or animal, used for locomotion (such as an arm, leg or wing).
What words are commonly confused with "limb"?
"limb" is commonly confused with "LM", "lit", "lip". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "limb"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "limb" is /lɪm/. 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 "limb"?
From Middle English lyme, lim, from Old English lim (“limb, branch”), from Proto-West Germanic *limu, from Proto-Germanic *limuz (“branch, limb”). Cognate with Old Norse limr (“limb”). The spelling with the silent unetymological -b first arose in ... 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 “limb”

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

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