linebacker
"linebacker" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“linebacker” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,123. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #18,123
- frequency rank, English
- 2,297
- “L” headwords
- 15
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The defensive players who are in position behind the defensive linemen and in front of the safeties and cornerbacks and whose principal responsibilities are to tackle runners and to defend against ...
Corpus desk
Index EN-linebacker · linebacker · English
linebacker · rank #18,123 · 15 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-MID #18,123
- LEN-MEGA 10 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-HIGH 15 variants
- BOOK-MID 2,297
- PHOTO-FINISH Leroy
Nearest frequency peer: Leroy (-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.
Frequency neighbourhood for “linebacker”
Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)
- lattice
lattice
81,883 corpus weight
- leaps
leaps
81,882 corpus weight
- legitimately
legitimately
81,881 corpus weight
- Leroy
Leroy
81,879 corpus weight
- linebacker
linebacker
81,878 corpus weight
- Lowers
Lowers
81,876 corpus weight
What this shows Bars show where “linebacker” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | linebacker |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #18,123 |
| Misspellings tracked | 15 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “linebacker” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 15 spelling variants around linebacker, anoun. Corpus frequency is #18,123 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Dominant gloss: "The defensive players who are in position behind the defensive linemen and in front of the safeties and cornerbacks and whose principal responsibilities are to tackle runners and to defend against ...".
Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for linebacker, with forms such as "ilnebacker", "lienbacker", and "linbeacker". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From line + backer. The correct English form is linebacker, spelled L-I-N-E-B-A-C-K-E-R.
Definition
- 1The defensive players who are in position behind the defensive linemen and in front of the safeties and cornerbacks and whose principal responsibilities are to tackle runners and to defend against shorter passes.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how linebacker appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
The linebacker corralled the runner who had slipped through the hole.
While Brown distracted the usually hyperfocused Mangini, safety Kerry Rhodes and linebackers Eric Barton and Jonathan Vilma grabbed a cooler of Gatorade and surreptitiously assumed their positions according to plan.
Etymology
From line + backer.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- ilnebacker
- lienbacker
- linbeacker
- lineabcker
- linebaccker
- linebacekr
- linebackerr
- linebackker
- linebackre
- linebakcer
- linebbacker
- linebcaker
- linnebacker
- llinebacker
- lniebacker
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of linebacker - 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.
PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "linebacker"?
What does "linebacker" mean?
What are common misspellings of "linebacker"?
What is the origin of the word "linebacker"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "linebacker", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).
Similar misspelling depth
Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).
What to do next
You've looked up "linebacker". Here's where to go from here.
- 15 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
- Usage frequency rank #18,123 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
- Browse more English words in the "L" letter cohort. L–Z browse
- PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.
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.