# louse

> English word · Noun · IPA /laʊs/ · frequency rank #47,167

## Definitions
1. A small parasitic wingless insect of the order Psocodea.
2. A contemptible person; one who is deceitful or causes harm.

## Etymology
From Middle English lous, lows, lowse, from Old English lūs, from Proto-West Germanic *lūs, from Proto-Germanic *lūs, from Proto-Indo-European *lewH-.
See also West Frisian lûs, Dutch luis, German Low German Luus, German Laus; also Welsh llau (“lice”), Tocharian B luwo, maybe Sanskrit यूका (yūkā).

## Easily confused with
- **love** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/louse-vs-love)
- **Luke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/louse-vs-luke)
- **lust** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/louse-vs-lust)
- **lure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/louse-vs-lure)
- **lowe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/louse-vs-lowe)
- **lush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/louse-vs-lush)
- **lube** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/louse-vs-lube)
- **luce** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/louse-vs-luce)
- **luxe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/louse-vs-luxe)
- **Lupe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/louse-vs-lupe)
- **lute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/louse-vs-lute)
- **luge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/louse-vs-luge)
- **lousy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/louse-vs-lousy)
- **Louvre** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/louse-vs-louvre)
- **los** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/los-vs-louse)
- **Lou** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lou-vs-louse)
- **lost** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lost-vs-louse)
- **lose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lose-vs-louse)
- **loss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/loss-vs-louse)
- **lots** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lots-vs-louse)

## Common misspellings (6)
`llouse`, `losue`, `loues`, `lousse`, `luose`, `oluse`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/louse