limerick

/ˈlɪm(ə)ɹɪk/

//ˈlɪm(ə)ɹɪk// noun

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

"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
2,297
“L” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 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.

Corpus desk

Index EN-limerick · limerick · English

limerick · rank #26,492 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,492
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH lifeguard

Nearest frequency peer: lifeguard (-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 “limerick”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “limerick” 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
Key facts for limerick
PropertyValue
Headwordlimerick
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɪm(ə)ɹɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#26,492
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “limerick”

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).limericklands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “lifeguard” (#26,491), “Lolita” (#26,494), “Leningrad” (#26,489). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “limerick” is #26,492. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around limerick (IPA /ˈlɪm(ə)ɹɪk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #26,492 among 2,297 “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

  1. 1
    A humorous, often bawdy verse of five anapaestic lines, with the rhyme scheme aabba, and typically having an 8–8–5–5–8 cadence.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The limerick, it would appear, Is a verse form we owe Edward Lear; Two long and two short Lines rhymed, as was taught, And a fifth just to bring up the rear.
  2. Take a look. That’s Buffy, Muffy, and Fluffy. Do they have anything in common other than names you could write a limerick around?

Etymology

From the Irish town name Limerick, Irish Luimneach [ˈl̪ˠɪmʲənʲəx].

This word in other languages

quintilla(Español)limerick(Français)Limerick(Deutsch)

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.

ilmerick2liemrick2limeirck2limercik2limericck1limerickk1limerikc2limerrick1
Edit distance from "limerick"

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"?
"limerick" is spelled L-I-M-E-R-I-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɪm(ə)ɹɪk/.
What does "limerick" mean?
As a noun, "limerick" means: A humorous, often bawdy verse of five anapaestic lines, with the rhyme scheme aabba, and typically having an 8–8–5–5–8 cadence.
What are common misspellings of "limerick"?
Common misspellings include "ilmerick", "liemrick", "limeirck", "limercik", "limericck". The correct spelling is "limerick".
How do you pronounce "limerick"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "limerick" is /ˈlɪm(ə)ɹɪk/. 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 "limerick"?
From the Irish town name Limerick, Irish Luimneach [ˈl̪ˠɪmʲənʲəx]. 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 "limerick", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

lawmaker#26,487landfall#26,486McMaster#26,503motorist#26,515

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

Kissinger12 variantsminimally12 variantshumanist12 variantshorseman12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list