linger

/ˈlɪŋɡɚ/

//ˈlɪŋɡɚ// verb

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

"linger" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“linger” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,382. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,382
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To stay or remain in a place or situation, especially as if unwilling to depart or not easily able to do so.

Corpus desk

Index EN-linger · linger · English

linger · rank #19,382 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #19,382
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH limbo

Nearest frequency peer: limbo (-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 “linger”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “linger” 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).

linger vs liver
67% similar
linger vs liter
67% similar
linger vs loner
67% similar

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

Key facts for linger
PropertyValue
Headwordlinger
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈlɪŋɡɚ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#19,382
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “linger”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “limbo” (#19,381), “lousy” (#19,383), “latency” (#19,380). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “linger” is #19,382. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around linger (IPA /ˈlɪŋɡɚ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #19,382 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 linger, with forms such as "ilnger", "ligner", and "linegr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "liver", "liter", "loner", 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 lengeren, frequentative of lengen (“to stay, dwell, tarry”), from Old English lenġan (“to lengthen, delay, extend”), from Proto-West Germanic *langijan, from Proto-Germanic *langijaną (compare West Frisian lingje (“to linger”), Dutch len… The correct English form is linger, spelled L-I-N-G-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To stay or remain in a place or situation, especially as if unwilling to depart or not easily able to do so.
  2. 2
    To remain alive or existent although still proceeding toward death or extinction; to die gradually.
  3. 3
    To consider or contemplate for a period of time; to engage in analytic thinking or discussion.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Still more foole I ſhall appeare / By the time I linger here
  2. His tone lingered in the air, almost like the tone of a musical instrument.

Etymology

From Middle English lengeren, frequentative of lengen (“to stay, dwell, tarry”), from Old English lenġan (“to lengthen, delay, extend”), from Proto-West Germanic *langijan, from Proto-Germanic *langijaną (compare West Frisian lingje (“to linger”), Dutch lengen, German längen, Icelandic lengja (“to lengthen”)), related to the root of English long. Equivalent to linge or long + -er (frequentative verb suffix).

This word in other languages

permanecer(Español)s'installer(Français)herumlungern(Deutsch)ficar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ilnger
  • ligner
  • linegr
  • lingerr
  • lingger
  • lingre
  • linnger
  • llinger
  • lniger

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of linger - 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.

ilnger2ligner2linegr2lingerr1lingger1lingre2linnger1llinger1
Edit distance from "linger"

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 "linger"?
"linger" is spelled L-I-N-G-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɪŋɡɚ/.
What does "linger" mean?
As a verb, "linger" means: To stay or remain in a place or situation, especially as if unwilling to depart or not easily able to do so.
What words are commonly confused with "linger"?
"linger" is commonly confused with "liver", "liter", "loner". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "linger"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "linger" is /ˈlɪŋɡɚ/. 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 "linger"?
From Middle English lengeren, frequentative of lengen (“to stay, dwell, tarry”), from Old English lenġan (“to lengthen, delay, extend”), from Proto-West Germanic *langijan, from Proto-Germanic *langijaną (compare West Frisian lingje (“to linger”),... 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 "linger", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

mammal#19,386muzzle#19,396indigo#19,366Gunner#19,354

Similar misspelling depth

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

jamming9 variantsgoblin9 variantsfungal9 variantsfleets9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list