longsome
/ˈlɒŋsəm/
"longsome" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“longsome” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Marked or characterised by longness or length; lengthy; long-lasting; protracted.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | longsome |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈlɒŋsəm/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “longsome” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for longsome is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈlɒŋsəm/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
longsome doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English longsum, from Old English langsum (“long; taking a long time; lasting a long time; long-enduring; long-suffering”), from Proto-West Germanic *langasam (“lengthy; long-lasting; vast; extensive”), equivalent to long + -some. The correct English form is longsome, spelled L-O-N-G-S-O-M-E.
Definition
- 1Marked or characterised by longness or length; lengthy; long-lasting; protracted.
- 2Tedious; tiresomely long.
Etymology
From Middle English longsum, from Old English langsum (“long; taking a long time; lasting a long time; long-enduring; long-suffering”), from Proto-West Germanic *langasam (“lengthy; long-lasting; vast; extensive”), equivalent to long + -some.
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
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Using “longsome”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is L-O-N-G-S-O-M-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈlɒŋsəm/ (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
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.