lockup
"lockup" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“lockup” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #49,465 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #49,465
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 9
- tracked misspellings
- 10
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A jail cell; a period of incarceration in such a cell; a facility containing such cells.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| 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) |
Where “lockup” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for lockup is 6 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #49,465 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1A jail cell; a period of incarceration in such a cell; a facility containing such cells.
- 2A storage unit with a door secured by a padlock or deadbolt; a garage.
- 3A 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.
- 4A condition where a system stops responding to inputs; a freeze.
- 5A device for locking type into position for printing.
- 6A fixed layout involving one or more logos and possibly related text.
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.
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
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Using “lockup”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is L-O-C-K-U-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Don't mix it up with “locus” - see the side-by-side comparison. lockup vs locus
- 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.