# litany

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈlɪtəni/ · frequency rank #33,712

## Definitions
1. A ritual liturgical prayer in which a series of prayers recited by a leader are alternated with responses from the congregation.
2. A prolonged or tedious list.

## Etymology
From Middle English, from Old French letanie, from Latin litania, from Ancient Greek λιτανεία (litaneía, “prayer”), from λιτή (litḗ, “prayer, entreaty”).

## Easily confused with
- **Lian** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lian-vs-litany)
- **liang** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/liang-vs-litany)
- **ligand** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ligand-vs-litany)

## Common misspellings (9)
`iltany`, `liatny`, `litanny`, `litanyy`, `litayn`, `litnay`, `littany`, `llitany`, `ltiany`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/litany