Lincoln

Name: Lincoln, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈlɪŋ.kən/

//ˈlɪŋ.kən// name

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“Lincoln” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,249 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#4,249
frequency rank, English: 7
letters: 11
tracked misspellings: 1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A city and local government district in Lincolnshire, England (OS grid ref SK9771).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Lincoln vs Linton

71% similar

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

Key facts for Lincoln
Property	Value
Headword	Lincoln
Language	English
Part of speech	Proper noun
IPA	/ˈlɪŋ.kən/
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#4,249
Misspellings tracked	11
Confusable pairs	1
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Lincoln” 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). Lincoln lands here:

#4,249

#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 Lincoln is 7 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈlɪŋ.kən/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,249 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 52 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for Lincoln, with forms such as "ilncoln", "licnoln", and "linccoln". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Linton", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English Lincolne, from Old English Lincolle, Lindcolen, Lindcylene, from Latin Lindum Colōnia (“the Roman settlement Lindum Colonia”), from Proto-Brythonic *llɨnn (“pool”), from Proto-Celtic *lindos (“lake, liquid”), in reference to th… The correct English form is Lincoln, spelled L-I-N-C-O-L-N.

Definition

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A city and local government district in Lincolnshire, England (OS grid ref SK9771).
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An English surname from Old English.
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An English surname from Old English.
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A male given name transferred from the surname, of American usage, originally in honor of Abraham Lincoln.
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A city in Buenos Aires province, Argentina, named after Abraham Lincoln.
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A village in Northern Midlands council area, Tasmania, Australia.
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A town in Canterbury, New Zealand, named after the Earl of Lincoln.
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Ellipsis of Lincoln College, Oxford.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English Lincolne, from Old English Lincolle, Lindcolen, Lindcylene, from Latin Lindum Colōnia (“the Roman settlement Lindum Colonia”), from Proto-Brythonic *llɨnn (“pool”), from Proto-Celtic *lindos (“lake, liquid”), in reference to the Brayford. In the United States, many of the places established since 1865 are named after Abraham Lincoln.

This word in other languages

Lincoln(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ilncoln,licnoln,linccoln,linclon,lincolln,lincolnn,linconl,linncoln,linocln,llincoln,lnicoln

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Lincoln - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "Lincoln"

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 "Lincoln"?

"Lincoln" is spelled L-I-N-C-O-L-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɪŋ.kən/.

What does "Lincoln" mean?

As a proper noun, "Lincoln" means: A city and local government district in Lincolnshire, England (OS grid ref SK9771).

What words are commonly confused with "Lincoln"?

"Lincoln" is commonly confused with "Linton". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "Lincoln"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Lincoln" is /ˈlɪŋ.kən/. 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 "Lincoln"?

Inherited from Middle English Lincolne, from Old English Lincolle, Lindcolen, Lindcylene, from Latin Lindum Colōnia (“the Roman settlement Lindum Colonia”), from Proto-Brythonic *llɨnn (“pool”), from Proto-Celtic *lindos (“lake, liquid”), in refer... 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 “Lincoln”

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

The one correct English spelling is L-I-N-C-O-L-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈlɪŋ.kən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “Linton” - see the side-by-side comparison. Lincoln vs Linton
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.