lingerie

/ˈlɒndʒəɹi/

//ˈlɒndʒəɹi// noun

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

"lingerie" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lingerie” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,352. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,352
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Underwear or nightclothes (typically women's), especially when lacy or designed to be seductive.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lingerie · lingerie · English

lingerie · rank #14,352 · 11 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,352
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH liberated

Nearest frequency peer: liberated (-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 “lingerie”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lingerie” 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).

lingerie vs lingering
78% similar
lingerie vs linger
75% similar
lingerie vs lingered
75% similar

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

Key facts for lingerie
PropertyValue
Headwordlingerie
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɒndʒəɹi/
Letters8
Frequency rank#14,352
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lingerie”

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).lingerielands 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 “liberated” (#14,351), “lite” (#14,353), “Ku” (#14,350). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lingerie” is #14,352. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around lingerie (IPA /ˈlɒndʒəɹi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #14,352 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for lingerie, with forms such as "ilngerie", "lignerie", and "linegrie". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "lingering", "linger", "lingered", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French lingerie (“linen closet”). The irregular pronunciation is a hyperforeignism; it may derive from the frequent shift of /ɛ̃/ (which is this word's first vowel in standard French) toward /ɑ̃/ or [æ̃] in European French, which also tends to… The correct English form is lingerie, spelled L-I-N-G-E-R-I-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Underwear or nightclothes (typically women's), especially when lacy or designed to be seductive.
  2. 2
    Linen goods collectively.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Empire matinees in lingerie stuffs with trimmings of lace and embroidery are shown in great variety.

Etymology

Borrowed from French lingerie (“linen closet”). The irregular pronunciation is a hyperforeignism; it may derive from the frequent shift of /ɛ̃/ (which is this word's first vowel in standard French) toward /ɑ̃/ or [æ̃] in European French, which also tends to be drifted towards /ɔ̃/.

This word in other languages

lencería(Español)lingerie(Français)Damenunterwäsche(Deutsch)lingerie(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ilngerie
  • lignerie
  • linegrie
  • lingeire
  • lingerei
  • lingerrie
  • linggerie
  • lingreie
  • linngerie
  • llingerie
  • lnigerie

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of lingerie - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ilngerie2lignerie2linegrie2lingeire2lingerei2lingerrie1linggerie1lingreie2
Edit distance from "lingerie"

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 "lingerie"?
"lingerie" is spelled L-I-N-G-E-R-I-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɒndʒəɹi/.
What does "lingerie" mean?
As a noun, "lingerie" means: Underwear or nightclothes (typically women's), especially when lacy or designed to be seductive.
What words are commonly confused with "lingerie"?
"lingerie" is commonly confused with "lingering", "linger", "lingered". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lingerie"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lingerie" is /ˈlɒndʒəɹi/. 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 "lingerie"?
Borrowed from French lingerie (“linen closet”). The irregular pronunciation is a hyperforeignism; it may derive from the frequent shift of /ɛ̃/ (which is this word's first vowel in standard French) toward /ɑ̃/ or [æ̃] in European French, which als... 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 "lingerie", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

magician#14,359maneuver#14,363guarding#14,333Griffith#14,332

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

lurking11 variantsoverlook11 variantspersist11 variantsplaster11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list