lobby

/ˈlɒb.i/

//ˈlɒb.i// noun

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

"lobby" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lobby” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,806. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,806
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lobby · lobby · English

lobby · rank #6,806 · 6 variants · 16 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,806
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 16 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH Lloyd

Nearest frequency peer: Lloyd (-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 “lobby”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lobby” 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).

lobby vs loy
60% similar
lobby vs lobe
60% similar
lobby vs Loeb
40% similar

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

Key facts for lobby
PropertyValue
Headwordlobby
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlɒb.i/
Letters5
Frequency rank#6,806
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lobby”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Lloyd” (#6,805), “marc” (#6,807), “ladder” (#6,804). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lobby” is #6,806. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around lobby (IPA /ˈlɒb.i/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,806 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for lobby, with forms such as "lboby", "llobby", and "lobbyy". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "loy", "lobe", "Loeb", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin lobia, lobium, laubia (“a portico, covered way, gallery”), borrowed from Frankish *laubijā (“arbour, shelter”), related to Old English lēaf (“foliage”). More at leaf. Doublet of leaf, lodge, and loggia. Political sense derives from the e… The correct English form is lobby, spelled L-O-B-B-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor.
  2. 2
    That part of a hall of legislation not appropriated to the official use of the assembly.
  3. 3
    A class or group of interested people who try to influence public officials; collectively, lobbyists.
  4. 4
    A virtual area where meeting attendees can await admittance from an authorized person.
  5. 5
    A virtual area where players can chat and find opponents for a game.
  6. 6
    An apartment or passageway in the fore part of an old-fashioned cabin under the quarter-deck.
  7. 7
    A confined place for cattle, formed by hedges, trees, or other fencing, near the farmyard.
  8. 8
    A margin along either side of the playing field in the sport of kabaddi.
  9. 9
    A waiting area in front of a bank of elevators.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I had to wait in the lobby for hours before seeing the doctor.
  2. Near-synonym: special interest

Etymology

From Medieval Latin lobia, lobium, laubia (“a portico, covered way, gallery”), borrowed from Frankish *laubijā (“arbour, shelter”), related to Old English lēaf (“foliage”). More at leaf. Doublet of leaf, lodge, and loggia. Political sense derives from the entrance hall of legislatures, where people traditionally tried to influence legislators because it was the most convenient place to meet them.

This word in other languages

vestíbulo(Español)vestibule(Français)Lobby(Deutsch)saguão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • lboby
  • llobby
  • lobbyy
  • loby
  • lobyb
  • olbby

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lboby2llobby1lobbyy1loby1lobyb2olbby2
Edit distance from "lobby"

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 "lobby"?
"lobby" is spelled L-O-B-B-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlɒb.i/.
What does "lobby" mean?
As a noun, "lobby" means: An entryway or reception area; vestibule; passageway; corridor.
What words are commonly confused with "lobby"?
"lobby" is commonly confused with "loy", "lobe", "Loeb". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lobby"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lobby" is /ˈlɒb.i/. 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 "lobby"?
From Medieval Latin lobia, lobium, laubia (“a portico, covered way, gallery”), borrowed from Frankish *laubijā (“arbour, shelter”), related to Old English lēaf (“foliage”). More at leaf. Doublet of leaf, lodge, and loggia. Political sense derives ... 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 "lobby", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Lloyd#6,805Kenny#6,801orbit#6,816ranch#6,826

Similar misspelling depth

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

marc6 variantsjunk6 variantshype6 variantspork6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list