livery

/ˈlɪ.və.ɹi/

//ˈlɪ.və.ɹi// noun

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

"livery" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“livery” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #25,457 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#25,457
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any distinctive identifying uniform worn by a group, such as the uniform worn by chauffeurs and male servants.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

livery vs Livy
50% similar
livery vs lives
67% similar
livery vs lover
67% similar

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

Key facts for livery
PropertyValue
Headwordlivery
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɪ.və.ɹi/
Letters6
Frequency rank#25,457
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “livery” 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). livery 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 livery is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈlɪ.və.ɹi/. Corpus data places it at rank #25,457 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for livery, with forms such as "ilvery", "lievry", and "liverry". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Livy", "lives", "lover", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English livery, liveree, from Anglo-Norman liveree, from Old French livree. Compare modern French livrée. The correct English form is livery, spelled L-I-V-E-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any distinctive identifying uniform worn by a group, such as the uniform worn by chauffeurs and male servants.
  2. 2
    The whole body of liverymen, members of livery companies.
  3. 3
    The paint scheme of a vehicle or fleet of vehicles.
  4. 4
    A taxicab or limousine.
  5. 5
    The delivery of property from one owner to the next.
  6. 6
    The writ by which property is obtained.
  7. 7
    The rental of horses or carriages; the rental of canoes; the care and/or boarding of horses for money.
  8. 8
    A stable that keeps horses or carriages for rental.
  9. 9
    An allowance of food; a ration, as given out to a family, to servants, to horses, etc.
  10. 10
    Release from wardship; deliverance.
  11. 11
    A low grade of wool.
  12. 12
    Outward markings, fittings or appearance

Etymology

From Middle English livery, liveree, from Anglo-Norman liveree, from Old French livree. Compare modern French livrée.

This word in other languages

librea(Español)livrée(Français)Livree(Deutsch)libré(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ilvery,lievry,liverry,liveryy,liveyr,livrey,livvery,llivery,lviery

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ilvery2lievry2liverry1liveryy1liveyr2livrey2livvery1llivery1
Edit distance from "livery"

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 "livery"?
"livery" is spelled L-I-V-E-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɪ.və.ɹi/.
What does "livery" mean?
As a noun, "livery" means: Any distinctive identifying uniform worn by a group, such as the uniform worn by chauffeurs and male servants.
What words are commonly confused with "livery"?
"livery" is commonly confused with "Livy", "lives", "lover". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "livery"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "livery" is /ˈlɪ.və.ɹi/. 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 "livery"?
From Middle English livery, liveree, from Anglo-Norman liveree, from Old French livree. Compare modern French livrée. 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 “livery”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-I-V-E-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈlɪ.və.ɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Livy” - see the side-by-side comparison. livery vs Livy
  • 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