limes

/ˈlʌɪmiːz/

//ˈlʌɪmiːz// noun

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

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

The verdict

“limes” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,961. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,961
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 boundary or border, especially of the Roman Empire.

Corpus desk

Index EN-limes · limes · English

limes · rank #34,961 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #34,961
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH linearly

Nearest frequency peer: linearly (+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 “limes”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “limes” 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).

limes vs lis
60% similar
limes vs live
60% similar
limes vs line
60% similar

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

Key facts for limes
PropertyValue
Headwordlimes
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlʌɪmiːz/
Letters5
Frequency rank#34,961
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “limes”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).limeslands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “linearly” (#34,962), “licorice” (#34,959), “Lewes” (#34,958). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “limes” is #34,961. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around limes (IPA /ˈlʌɪmiːz/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #34,961 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A boundary or border, especially of the Roman Empire.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for limes, with forms such as "ilmes", "liems", and "limess". 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. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "lis", "live", "line", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin līmes. Doublet of limit. The correct English form is limes, spelled L-I-M-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A boundary or border, especially of the Roman Empire.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Their presence in the late fourth century on the River Main (immediately to the east of the Roman limes) is documented in Roman sources, as are their wars with the Alemanni.

Etymology

From Latin līmes. Doublet of limit.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ilmes
  • liems
  • limess
  • limmes
  • limse
  • llimes
  • lmies

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ilmes2liems2limess1limmes1limse2llimes1lmies2
Edit distance from "limes"

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 "limes"?
"limes" is spelled L-I-M-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlʌɪmiːz/.
What does "limes" mean?
As a noun, "limes" means: A boundary or border, especially of the Roman Empire.
What words are commonly confused with "limes"?
"limes" is commonly confused with "lis", "live", "line". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "limes"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "limes" is /ˈlʌɪmiːz/. 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 "limes"?
From Latin līmes. Doublet of limit. 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 "limes", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Lewes#34,958lunge#34,970inset#34,939horst#34,922

Similar misspelling depth

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

meddle7 variantsnibble7 variantsgulag7 variantsPrado7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list