low

/ˈləʊ/

//ˈləʊ// adj

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

"low" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“low” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #468 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#468
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Situated close to, or even below, the ground or another normal reference plane; not high or lofty.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

low vs Lt
0% similar
low vs LP
0% similar
low vs Ls
0% similar

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

Key facts for low
PropertyValue
Headwordlow
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈləʊ/
Letters3
Frequency rank#468
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “low” 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). low 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 low is 3 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈləʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #468 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 25 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for low, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Lt", "LP", "Ls", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *légʰyeti Proto-Germanic *ligjaną Proto-Germanic *lēgaz Old Norse lágrbor. Middle English lāh English low From Middle English lowe, lohe, lāh, from Old Norse lágr (“low… The correct English form is low, spelled L-O-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    Situated close to, or even below, the ground or another normal reference plane; not high or lofty.
  2. 2
    Situated close to, or even below, the ground or another normal reference plane; not high or lofty.
  3. 3
    Situated close to, or even below, the ground or another normal reference plane; not high or lofty.
  4. 4
    Of less than normal height or upward extent or growth, or of greater than normal depth or recession; below the average or normal level from which elevation is measured.
  5. 5
    Of less than normal height or upward extent or growth, or of greater than normal depth or recession; below the average or normal level from which elevation is measured.
  6. 6
    Not high in status, esteem, or rank, dignity, or quality. (Compare vulgar.)
  7. 7
    Humble, meek, not haughty.
  8. 8
    Disparaging; assigning little value or excellence.
  9. 9
    Being a nadir, a bottom.
  10. 10
    Depressed in mood, dejected, sad.
  11. 11
    Lacking health or vitality, strength or vivacity; feeble; weak.
  12. 12
    Lacking health or vitality, strength or vivacity; feeble; weak.
  13. 13
    Dead. (Compare lay low.)
  14. 14
    Small, not high (in amount or quantity, value, force, energy, etc).
  15. 15
    Small, not high (in amount or quantity, value, force, energy, etc).
  16. 16
    Small, not high (in amount or quantity, value, force, energy, etc).
  17. 17
    Simple in complexity or development.
  18. 18
    Favoring simplicity (see e.g. low church, Low Tory).
  19. 19
    Being near the equator.
  20. 20
    Grave in pitch, due to being produced by relatively slow vibrations (wave oscillations); flat.
  21. 21
    Quiet; soft; not loud.
  22. 22
    Made with a relatively large opening between the tongue and the palate; made with (part of) the tongue positioned low in the mouth, relative to the palate.
  23. 23
    Lesser in value than other cards, denominations, suits, etc.
  24. 24
    Not rich or seasoned; offering the minimum of nutritional requirements; plain, simple.
  25. 25
    Designed for a slow (or the slowest) speed.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *légʰyeti Proto-Germanic *ligjaną Proto-Germanic *lēgaz Old Norse lágrbor. Middle English lāh English low From Middle English lowe, lohe, lāh, from Old Norse lágr (“low”), from Proto-Germanic *lēgaz (“lying, flat, situated near the ground, low”), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie”). Cognate with Scots laich (“low”), Saterland Frisian läich (“low”), West Frisian leech (“low”), Dutch laag (“low”), obsolete German läg (“low”), German Low German leeg, leeg' (“low”), Danish lav (“low”), Faroese, Icelandic lágur (“low”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, Swedish låg (“low”). More at lie.

Synonyms

Synonyms: immoralabjectscummyscurvy

This word in other languages

bajo(Español)bas(Français)niedrig(Deutsch)baixo(Português)

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 "low"?
"low" is spelled L-O-W. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈləʊ/.
What does "low" mean?
As an adjective, "low" means: Situated close to, or even below, the ground or another normal reference plane; not high or lofty.
What words are commonly confused with "low"?
"low" is commonly confused with "Lt", "LP", "Ls". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "low"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "low" is /ˈləʊ/. 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 "low"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *légʰyeti Proto-Germanic *ligjaną Proto-Germanic *lēgaz Old Norse lágrbor. Middle English lāh English low From Middle English lowe, lohe, lāh, from Old Norse ... 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 “low”

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

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