lockup

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

noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed September 3, 2026

The verdict

“lockup” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #49,465. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#49,465
frequency rank, English: 2,297
“L” headwords: 9
tracked misspellings: 10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A jail cell; a period of incarceration in such a cell; a facility containing such cells.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lockup · lockup · English

lockup · rank #49,465 · 9 variants · 10 confusables

FREQ-MID #49,465
LEN-LONG 6 letters
VOW-2 2 vowels
CONFUS-MID 10 pairs
VAR-MID 9 variants
BOOK-MID 2,297
PHOTO-FINISH lithograph

Nearest frequency peer: lithograph (-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.

lel

50,542
Leninism

50,541
lithograph

50,537
lockup

50,536
lope

50,535
loring

50,533

What this shows “lockup” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lockup vs locus

67% similar

lockup vs locum

67% similar

lockup vs lookup

83% similar

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

Key facts for lockup
Property	Value
Headword	lockup
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#49,465
Misspellings tracked	9
Confusable pairs	10
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lockup”

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

#49,465

#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 “lithograph” (#49,464), “lope” (#49,466), “loring” (#49,468). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lockup” is #49,465. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around lockup, anoun. Corpus frequency is #49,465 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for lockup, with forms such as "lcokup", "llockup", and "locckup". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "locus", "locum", "lookup", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Deverbal from lock up. The correct English form is lockup, spelled L-O-C-K-U-P.

Definition

1
A jail cell; a period of incarceration in such a cell; a facility containing such cells.
2
A storage unit with a door secured by a padlock or deadbolt; a garage.
3
A condition in which one or more of a vehicle's wheels suddenly cease to rotate due to the application of excessive brake torque, causing the affected wheel(s) to skid.
4
A condition where a system stops responding to inputs; a freeze.
5
A device for locking type into position for printing.
6
A fixed layout involving one or more logos and possibly related text.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

He's in lockup for 30 days for drunk and disorderly.
Joe keeps his other car in a lockup downtown.

Etymology

Deverbal from lock up.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

lcokup
llockup
locckup
lockkup
lockpu
lockupp
locukp
lokcup
olckup

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "lockup"

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 "lockup"?

"lockup" is spelled L-O-C-K-U-P.

What does "lockup" mean?

As a noun, "lockup" means: A jail cell; a period of incarceration in such a cell; a facility containing such cells.

What words are commonly confused with "lockup"?

"lockup" is commonly confused with "locus", "locum", "lookup". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

What is the origin of the word "lockup"?

Deverbal from lock up. 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 "lockup", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

loring#49,468 lucent#49,473 Macomb#49,476 Kaylee#49,442

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Madurai9 variants meiosis9 variants mockup9 variants Morison9 variants