locked

/lɒkt/

//lɒkt// verb

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

The verdict

“locked” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,438 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#3,438
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - simple past and past participle of lock

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

locked vs loved
67% similar
locked vs locks
67% similar
locked vs looked
83% similar

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

Key facts for locked
PropertyValue
Headwordlocked
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/lɒkt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,438
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “locked” 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). locked 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 locked is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /lɒkt/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,438 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "simple past and past participle of lock".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for locked, with forms such as "lcoked", "llocked", and "loccked". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "loved", "locks", "looked", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: * (drunk): Perhaps from airlocked. The correct English form is locked, spelled L-O-C-K-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    simple past and past participle of lock

Etymology

* (drunk): Perhaps from airlocked.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lcoked,llocked,loccked,locekd,lockde,lockedd,lockked,lokced,olcked

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lcoked2llocked1loccked1locekd2lockde2lockedd1lockked1lokced2
Edit distance from "locked"

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 "locked"?
"locked" is spelled L-O-C-K-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /lɒkt/.
What does "locked" mean?
As a verb, "locked" means: simple past and past participle of lock
What words are commonly confused with "locked"?
"locked" is commonly confused with "loved", "locks", "looked". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "locked"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "locked" is /lɒkt/. 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 "locked"?
* (drunk): Perhaps from airlocked. 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 “locked”

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

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