loser

/luːzə(ɹ)/

//luːzə(ɹ)// noun

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

"loser" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“loser” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,026 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,026
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person who loses; one who fails to win or thrive.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

loser vs love
60% similar
loser vs lost
60% similar
loser vs loss
60% similar

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

Key facts for loser
PropertyValue
Headwordloser
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/luːzə(ɹ)/
Letters5
Frequency rank#7,026
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “loser” 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). loser 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 loser is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /luːzə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,026 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for loser, with forms such as "lloser", "loesr", and "loserr". 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, "love", "lost", "loss", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English loser, losere, equivalent to lose + -er. In the sense of contemptible or worthless individual, perhaps an alteration of losel, which see. The correct English form is loser, spelled L-O-S-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who loses; one who fails to win or thrive.
  2. 2
    Something of poor quality.
  3. 3
    A person who is frequently unsuccessful in life.
  4. 4
    A contemptible or unfashionable person.
  5. 5
    One who or that which loses something, such as extra weight, car keys, etc.
  6. 6
    A losing proposition, one that is likely to lose or already has lost (such as a losing bet or, analogously, a predictably fruitless task or errand).
  7. 7
    A person convicted of a crime, especially more than once.

Etymology

From Middle English loser, losere, equivalent to lose + -er. In the sense of contemptible or worthless individual, perhaps an alteration of losel, which see.

This word in other languages

perdedor(Español)perdant(Français)Verlierer(Deutsch)falhado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: lloser,loesr,loserr,losre,losser,lsoer,olser

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

lloser1loesr2loserr1losre2losser1lsoer2olser2
Edit distance from "loser"

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 "loser"?
"loser" is spelled L-O-S-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /luːzə(ɹ)/.
What does "loser" mean?
As a noun, "loser" means: A person who loses; one who fails to win or thrive.
What words are commonly confused with "loser"?
"loser" is commonly confused with "love", "lost", "loss". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "loser"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "loser" is /luːzə(ɹ)/. 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 "loser"?
From Middle English loser, losere, equivalent to lose + -er. In the sense of contemptible or worthless individual, perhaps an alteration of losel, which see. 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 “loser”

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

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