lord

/lɔːd/

//lɔːd// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"lord" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lord” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #832. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#832
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The master of the servants of a household; (historical) the master of a feudal manor

Corpus desk

Index EN-lord · lord · English

lord · rank #832 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #832
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH language

Nearest frequency peer: language (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “lord”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “lord” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lord vs LR
0% similar
lord vs lot
50% similar
lord vs low
50% similar

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

Key facts for lord
PropertyValue
Headwordlord
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/lɔːd/
Letters4
Frequency rank#832
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lord” 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). lord lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around lord (IPA /lɔːd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #832 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for lord, with forms such as "llord", "lodr", and "lordd". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "LR", "lot", "low", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English lord and lorde (attested from the 15th century), from earlier (14th century) lourde and other variants which dropped the intervocalic consonant of earlier lowerd, louerd, loverd, laford, and lhoaverd; from Old English hlāford < hlāfweard… The correct English form is lord, spelled L-O-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    The master of the servants of a household; (historical) the master of a feudal manor
  2. 2
    The master of the servants of a household; (historical) the master of a feudal manor
  3. 3
    The master of the servants of a household; (historical) the master of a feudal manor
  4. 4
    One possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron)
  5. 5
    One possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron)
  6. 6
    One possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron)
  7. 7
    One possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron)
  8. 8
    One possessing similar mastery in figurative senses (esp. as lord of ~)
  9. 9
    One possessing similar mastery in figurative senses (esp. as lord of ~)
  10. 10
    The heavenly body considered to possess a dominant influence over an event, time, etc.
  11. 11
    A hunchback.
  12. 12
    Sixpence.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Bleſſed is that ſeruant, whome his Lord when he commeth, ſhal finde ſo doing.
  2. Por. ...But now, I was the Lord of this faire manſion, maiſter of my ſeruants, Queene oer my ſelfe[…]

Etymology

From Middle English lord and lorde (attested from the 15th century), from earlier (14th century) lourde and other variants which dropped the intervocalic consonant of earlier lowerd, louerd, loverd, laford, and lhoaverd; from Old English hlāford < hlāfweard, a compound of hlāf (“bread”) + weard (“guardian”); see loaf and ward. The term was already being applied broadly prior to the literary development of Old English and was influenced by its common use to translate Latin dominus. Compare Scots laird (“lord”), preserving a separate vowel development (from northern/Scottish Middle English lard, laverd), the Old English compound hlāf-ǣta (“servant”, literally “bread-eater”), and modern English lady, from Old English hlǣfdīġe (“bread-kneader”). The Middle English word laford was borrowed by Icelandic, where it survives as lávarður. Doublet of hlaford and laird.

Synonyms

drightenpossessorproprietorsovereign

This word in other languages

castellano(Español)châtelain(Français)Gebieter(Deutsch)castelão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • llord
  • lodr
  • lordd
  • lorrd
  • lrod
  • olrd

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

llord1lodr2lordd1lorrd1lrod2olrd2
Edit distance from "lord"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "lord"?
"lord" is spelled L-O-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /lɔːd/.
What does "lord" mean?
As a noun, "lord" means: The master of the servants of a household; (historical) the master of a feudal manor
What words are commonly confused with "lord"?
"lord" is commonly confused with "LR", "lot", "low". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lord"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lord" is /lɔːd/. 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 "lord"?
From Middle English lord and lorde (attested from the 15th century), from earlier (14th century) lourde and other variants which dropped the intervocalic consonant of earlier lowerd, louerd, loverd, laford, and lhoaverd; from Old English hlāford <... 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 "lord", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

hell#828born#843vote#820damn#845

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

send6 variantspick6 variantsstaff6 variantssuper6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "lord". Here's where to go from here.

  • "lord" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "LR". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #832 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "L" letter cohort. L–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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