lineage

/ˈlɪn.i.ɪd͡ʒ/

//ˈlɪn.i.ɪd͡ʒ// noun

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

"lineage" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lineage” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,854. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,854
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Descent in a line from a common progenitor; progeny; descending line of offspring or ascending line of parentage.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lineage · lineage · English

lineage · rank #15,854 · 9 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,854
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH liter

Nearest frequency peer: liter (+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 “lineage”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lineage” 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).

lineage vs linear
71% similar
lineage vs linkage
86% similar
lineage vs lineages
88% similar

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

Key facts for lineage
PropertyValue
Headwordlineage
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɪn.i.ɪd͡ʒ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#15,854
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lineage”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).lineagelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “liter” (#15,855), “Levine” (#15,852), “looting” (#15,856). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lineage” is #15,854. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around lineage (IPA /ˈlɪn.i.ɪd͡ʒ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,854 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for lineage, with forms such as "ilneage", "lienage", and "linaege". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "linear", "linkage", "lineages", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English linage, from Old French linage, from ligne, from Latin linea (“line”); equivalent to line + -age. The correct English form is lineage, spelled L-I-N-E-A-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Descent in a line from a common progenitor; progeny; descending line of offspring or ascending line of parentage.
  2. 2
    A number of lines of text in a column.
  3. 3
    A fee or rate paid per line of text.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Theſe Anius Ueres [Marcus Annius Verus, father of Marcus Aurelius] was a lygnage, that auanced them to be deſcẽded [descended] of Numa Pompilio, and of Quintꝰ [Quintus] Curtius the famous Romayn: […]
  2. Edwards great linage by the mothers ſide, / Fiue hundred yeeres hath helde the ſcepter vp,

Etymology

From Middle English linage, from Old French linage, from ligne, from Latin linea (“line”); equivalent to line + -age.

This word in other languages

linaje(Español)descendance(Français)Abstammung(Deutsch)descendência(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ilneage
  • lienage
  • linaege
  • lineaeg
  • lineagge
  • linegae
  • linneage
  • llineage
  • lnieage

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ilneage2lienage2linaege2lineaeg2lineagge1linegae2linneage1llineage1
Edit distance from "lineage"

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 "lineage"?
"lineage" is spelled L-I-N-E-A-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɪn.i.ɪd͡ʒ/.
What does "lineage" mean?
As a noun, "lineage" means: Descent in a line from a common progenitor; progeny; descending line of offspring or ascending line of parentage.
What words are commonly confused with "lineage"?
"lineage" is commonly confused with "linear", "linkage", "lineages". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lineage"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lineage" is /ˈlɪn.i.ɪd͡ʒ/. 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 "lineage"?
From Middle English linage, from Old French linage, from ligne, from Latin linea (“line”); equivalent to line + -age. 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 "lineage", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

looting#15,856ketchup#15,850Keepers#15,848obscene#15,870

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Lorraine9 variantsMagnus9 variantsMarley9 variantsonward9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list