lobe

/ləʊb/

//ləʊb// noun

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

"lobe" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lobe” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #19,635 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#19,635
frequency rank, English
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any projection or division, especially one of a somewhat rounded form.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lobe vs lot
50% similar
lobe vs low
50% similar
lobe vs lol
50% similar

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

Key facts for lobe
PropertyValue
Headwordlobe
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ləʊb/
Letters4
Frequency rank#19,635
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lobe” 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). lobe 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 lobe is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ləʊb/. Corpus data places it at rank #19,635 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for lobe, with forms such as "lboe", "llobe", and "lobbe". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "lot", "low", "lol", 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 French lobe in early 16th century, from New Latin lobus (“a lobe”), from Ancient Greek λοβός (lobós, “the lobe of the ear or of the liver, the pod of a leguminous plant”). The correct English form is lobe, spelled L-O-B-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any projection or division, especially one of a somewhat rounded form.
  2. 2
    A clear division of an organ that can be determined at the gross anatomy level, especially one of the parts of the brain, liver or lung.
  3. 3
    A semicircular pattern left on the ice as the skater travels across it.

Etymology

From Middle French lobe in early 16th century, from New Latin lobus (“a lobe”), from Ancient Greek λοβός (lobós, “the lobe of the ear or of the liver, the pod of a leguminous plant”).

Synonyms

lobe

This word in other languages

lóbulo(Español)lobe(Français)Vorsprung(Deutsch)lobo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lboe,llobe,lobbe,olbe

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lboe2llobe1lobbe1olbe2
Edit distance from "lobe"

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 "lobe"?
"lobe" is spelled L-O-B-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ləʊb/.
What does "lobe" mean?
As a noun, "lobe" means: Any projection or division, especially one of a somewhat rounded form.
What words are commonly confused with "lobe"?
"lobe" is commonly confused with "lot", "low", "lol". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lobe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lobe" is /ləʊb/. 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 "lobe"?
From Middle French lobe in early 16th century, from New Latin lobus (“a lobe”), from Ancient Greek λοβός (lobós, “the lobe of the ear or of the liver, the pod of a leguminous plant”). 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 “lobe”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is L-O-B-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ləʊb/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “lot” - see the side-by-side comparison. lobe vs lot
  • 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