limerick
/ˈlɪm(ə)ɹɪk/
"limerick" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“limerick” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,492. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #26,492
- frequency rank, English
- 16,425
- “L” headwords
- 12
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A humorous, often bawdy verse of five anapaestic lines, with the rhyme scheme aabba, and typically having an 8–8–5–5–8 cadence.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | limerick |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈlɪm(ə)ɹɪk/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #26,492 |
| Misspellings tracked | 12 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “limerick” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 12 spelling variants around limerick (IPA /ˈlɪm(ə)ɹɪk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #26,492 among 16,425 “L” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A humorous, often bawdy verse of five anapaestic lines, with the rhyme scheme aabba, and typically having an 8–8–5–5–8 cadence.".
Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for limerick, with forms such as "ilmerick", "liemrick", and "limeirck". 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. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From the Irish town name Limerick, Irish Luimneach [ˈl̪ˠɪmʲənʲəx]. The correct English form is limerick, spelled L-I-M-E-R-I-C-K.
Definition
- 1A humorous, often bawdy verse of five anapaestic lines, with the rhyme scheme aabba, and typically having an 8–8–5–5–8 cadence.
Etymology
From the Irish town name Limerick, Irish Luimneach [ˈl̪ˠɪmʲənʲəx].
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- ilmerick
- liemrick
- limeirck
- limercik
- limericck
- limerickk
- limerikc
- limerrick
- limmerick
- limreick
- llimerick
- lmierick
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of limerick - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "limerick"?
What does "limerick" mean?
What are common misspellings of "limerick"?
How do you pronounce "limerick"?
What is the origin of the word "limerick"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “limerick”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is L-I-M-E-R-I-C-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈlɪm(ə)ɹɪk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Same frequency band
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.