local area network

/ˈləʊklˌɛːɹɪəˌnɛtwəːk/

//ˈləʊklˌɛːɹɪəˌnɛtwəːk// noun

"local-area-network" is a 16-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
18
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An interconnection of computers that are in relatively close proximity to each other, such as within a building.

Corpus desk

Index EN-local-area-network · local area network · English

local area network · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 18 letters
  • VOW-7 7 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "L" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for local area network
PropertyValue
Headwordlocal area network
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈləʊklˌɛːɹɪəˌnɛtwəːk/
Letters18
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “local area network” in English

local area networkranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

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

Rare enough to double-check

local area network is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈləʊklˌɛːɹɪəˌnɛtwəːk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for local area network in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is local area network, spelled L-O-C-A-L- -A-R-E-A- -N-E-T-W-O-R-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    An interconnection of computers that are in relatively close proximity to each other, such as within a building.
  2. 2
    A network on which all devices communicate using OSI model device layer addressing.
  3. 3
    A network on which all communication is delivered by way of MAC addresses and that is not routed.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. A local area network connects all of the computers in our office.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

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 "local area network"?
"local area network" is spelled L-O-C-A-L- -A-R-E-A- -N-E-T-W-O-R-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈləʊklˌɛːɹɪəˌnɛtwəːk/.
What does "local area network" mean?
As a noun, "local area network" means: An interconnection of computers that are in relatively close proximity to each other, such as within a building.
How do you pronounce "local area network"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "local area network" is /ˈləʊklˌɛːɹɪəˌnɛtwəːk/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "local area network" come from?
"local area network" 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list