lip

/lɪp/

//lɪp// noun

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

"lip" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lip” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,808 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,808
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Either of the two fleshy protrusions around the opening of the mouth.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

lip vs Lt
0% similar
lip vs lo
33% similar
lip vs LP
0% similar

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

Key facts for lip
PropertyValue
Headwordlip
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/lɪp/
Letters3
Frequency rank#5,808
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lip” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for lip is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /lɪp/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,808 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for lip, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Lt", "lo", "LP", 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 lippe, from Old English lippa, lippe (“lip”), from Proto-West Germanic *lippjō (“lip”), from Proto-Germanic *lepô, from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang loosely, droop, sag”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Lippe (“lip”), West Frisian… The correct English form is lip, spelled L-I-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    Either of the two fleshy protrusions around the opening of the mouth.
  2. 2
    A part of the body that resembles a lip, such as the edge of a wound or the labia.
  3. 3
    The projecting rim of an open container or a bell, etc.; a short open spout.
  4. 4
    Backtalk; verbal impertinence.
  5. 5
    The edge of a high spot of land.
  6. 6
    The sharp cutting edge on the end of an auger.
  7. 7
    One of the two opposite divisions of a labiate corolla.
  8. 8
    A distinctive lower-appearing of the three true petals of an orchid.
  9. 9
    One of the edges of the aperture of a univalve shell.
  10. 10
    Embouchure: the condition or strength of a wind instrumentalist's lips.
  11. 11
    Clipping of lipstick.

Etymology

From Middle English lippe, from Old English lippa, lippe (“lip”), from Proto-West Germanic *lippjō (“lip”), from Proto-Germanic *lepô, from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang loosely, droop, sag”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Lippe (“lip”), West Frisian lippe (“lip”), Dutch lip (“lip”), German Lippe and Lefze (“lip”), Low German Lippe (“lip”), Luxembourgish Lëps (“lip”), Vilamovian łyp (“lip”), Yiddish ליפּ (lip, “lip”), Danish læbe (“lip”), Norwegian Bokmål leppe (“lip”), Norwegian Nynorsk leppa, leppe, lippa, lippe (“lip”), Swedish läpp (“lip”), Latin labium (“lip”).

This word in other languages

labio(Español)lèvre(Français)Lippe(Deutsch)beiço(Português)

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 "lip"?
"lip" is spelled L-I-P. The IPA pronunciation is /lɪp/.
What does "lip" mean?
As a noun, "lip" means: Either of the two fleshy protrusions around the opening of the mouth.
What words are commonly confused with "lip"?
"lip" is commonly confused with "Lt", "lo", "LP". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lip"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lip" is /lɪp/. 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 "lip"?
From Middle English lippe, from Old English lippa, lippe (“lip”), from Proto-West Germanic *lippjō (“lip”), from Proto-Germanic *lepô, from Proto-Indo-European *leb- (“to hang loosely, droop, sag”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Lippe (“lip”), We... 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.

Using “lip”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is L-I-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /lɪp/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Lt” - see the side-by-side comparison. lip vs Lt
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list