lobotomy

Name: lobotomy, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ləˈbɒt.ə.mi/

//ləˈbɒt.ə.mi// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“lobotomy” is uncommon English (frequency #55,565 among 16,425 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,565
frequency rank, English: 16,425
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A surgical operation on the frontal lobe of the brain intent on treating certain mental illnesses.

Key facts for lobotomy
Property	Value
Headword	lobotomy
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ləˈbɒt.ə.mi/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#55,565
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lobotomy” 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). lobotomy lands here:

#55,565

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

lobotomy is uncommon English at frequency #55,565 among 16,425 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ləˈbɒt.ə.mi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for lobotomy, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From lobe + -otomy. The correct English form is lobotomy, spelled L-O-B-O-T-O-M-Y.

Definition

1
A surgical operation on the frontal lobe of the brain intent on treating certain mental illnesses.
2
The severing of the prefrontal cortex from the thalamic region of the brain.
3
The severing of the sympathetic nerve trunk.
4
Separation, removal or deprivation.

Etymology

From lobe + -otomy.

Synonyms

leucotomy

This word in other languages

lobotomía(Español)lobotomie(Français)Lobotomie(Deutsch)lobotomia(Português)

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 "lobotomy"?

"lobotomy" is spelled L-O-B-O-T-O-M-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ləˈbɒt.ə.mi/.

What does "lobotomy" mean?

As a noun, "lobotomy" means: A surgical operation on the frontal lobe of the brain intent on treating certain mental illnesses.

How do you pronounce "lobotomy"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lobotomy" is /ləˈbɒt.ə.mi/. 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 "lobotomy"?

From lobe + -otomy. 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 “lobotomy”

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

The one correct English spelling is L-O-B-O-T-O-M-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ləˈbɒt.ə.mi/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.