lint

/lɪnt/

//lɪnt// noun

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

"lint" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lint” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,346. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,346
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lint · lint · English

lint · rank #29,346 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #29,346
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH lira

Nearest frequency peer: lira (+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 “lint”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lint” 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).

lint vs Lt
25% similar
lint vs LN
0% similar
lint vs lot
50% similar

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

Key facts for lint
PropertyValue
Headwordlint
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/lɪnt/
Letters4
Frequency rank#29,346
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lint”

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).lintlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “lira” (#29,347), “layering” (#29,344), “livid” (#29,348). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lint” is #29,346. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around lint (IPA /lɪnt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #29,346 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for lint, with forms such as "ilnt", "linnt", and "lintt". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Lt", "LN", "lot", 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 lynet, linet, from Old French linette (“grain of flax”), diminutive of lin (“flax”); or, from Medieval Latin linteum, from Latin līnum (“flax”). The correct English form is lint, spelled L-I-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc.
  2. 2
    A fine material made by scraping cotton or linen cloth; used for dressing wounds.
  3. 3
    The fibrous coat of thick hairs covering the seeds of the cotton plant.
  4. 4
    Raw cotton ready for baling.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Clean the lint out of the vacuum cleaner's filter.

Etymology

From Middle English lynet, linet, from Old French linette (“grain of flax”), diminutive of lin (“flax”); or, from Medieval Latin linteum, from Latin līnum (“flax”).

This word in other languages

pelusa(Español)peluche(Français)Fussel(Deutsch)cotão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ilnt
  • linnt
  • lintt
  • litn
  • llint
  • lnit

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ilnt2linnt1lintt1litn2llint1lnit2
Edit distance from "lint"

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 "lint"?
"lint" is spelled L-I-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /lɪnt/.
What does "lint" mean?
As a noun, "lint" means: Clinging fuzzy fluff that clings to fabric or accumulates in one's pockets or navel etc.
What words are commonly confused with "lint"?
"lint" is commonly confused with "Lt", "LN", "lot". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lint"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lint" is /lɪnt/. 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 "lint"?
From Middle English lynet, linet, from Old French linette (“grain of flax”), diminutive of lin (“flax”); or, from Medieval Latin linteum, from Latin līnum (“flax”). 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 "lint", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

lira#29,347loon#29,351luce#29,356luxe#29,359

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Laude6 variantsmong6 variantsmush6 variantsonyx6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list