live wire

/ˈlaɪv ˈwaɪə(ɹ)/

//ˈlaɪv ˈwaɪə(ɹ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“live wire” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An electrical wire through which there is a flow of electrical current.

Key facts for live wire
PropertyValue
Headwordlive wire
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlaɪv ˈwaɪə(ɹ)/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “live wire” sits in English frequency

live wire falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

live wire is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈlaɪv ˈwaɪə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

live wire doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct English form is live wire, spelled L-I-V-E- -W-I-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An electrical wire through which there is a flow of electrical current.
  2. 2
    An especially energetic, alert, or vivacious person.

This word in other languages

pile électrique(Français)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "live wire"?
"live wire" is spelled L-I-V-E- -W-I-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlaɪv ˈwaɪə(ɹ)/.
What does "live wire" mean?
As a noun, "live wire" means: An electrical wire through which there is a flow of electrical current.
How do you pronounce "live wire"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "live wire" is /ˈlaɪv ˈwaɪə(ɹ)/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "live wire" come from?
"live wire" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “live wire”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-I-V-E- -W-I-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈlaɪv ˈwaɪə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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