luff

/lʌf/

//lʌf// noun

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

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

The verdict

“luff” is uncommon English (frequency #62,286 among 2,297 “L” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,286
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The vertical edge of a sail that is closest to the direction of the wind.

Corpus desk

Index EN-luff · luff · English

luff · rank #62,286 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #62,286
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH luau

Nearest frequency peer: luau (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “luff”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “luff” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for luff
PropertyValue
Headwordluff
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/lʌf/
Letters4
Frequency rank#62,286
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “luff” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).lufffalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “luau” (#62,285), “lunging” (#62,287), “maneuverable” (#62,292). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “luff” is #62,286. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

luff is uncommon English at frequency #62,286 among 2,297 “L” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /lʌf/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for luff in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French lof. Collins English Dictionary states that this word is ultimately derived from Middle Dutch loef. Ellert Ekwall's Shakspere's Vocabulary: its etymological elements (1903) related this verb and loof instead to the East Frisian verb lofen, l… The correct English form is luff, spelled L-U-F-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    The vertical edge of a sail that is closest to the direction of the wind.
  2. 2
    The act of sailing a ship close to the wind.
  3. 3
    The roundest part of a ship's bow.
  4. 4
    The forward or weather leech of a sail, especially of the jib, spanker, and other fore-and-aft sails.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. By easing the halyard, the luff of the sail was made to sag to leeward.
  2. "The man at the helm was watching the luff of the sail and whistling away gently to himself."

Etymology

From Old French lof. Collins English Dictionary states that this word is ultimately derived from Middle Dutch loef. Ellert Ekwall's Shakspere's Vocabulary: its etymological elements (1903) related this verb and loof instead to the East Frisian verb lofen, lufen, which would make it cognate to the French term lover.

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 "luff"?
"luff" is spelled L-U-F-F. The IPA pronunciation is /lʌf/.
What does "luff" mean?
As a noun, "luff" means: The vertical edge of a sail that is closest to the direction of the wind.
How do you pronounce "luff"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "luff" is /lʌf/. 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 "luff"?
From Old French lof. Collins English Dictionary states that this word is ultimately derived from Middle Dutch loef. Ellert Ekwall's Shakspere's Vocabulary: its etymological elements (1903) related this verb and loof instead to the East Frisian ver... 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 "luff", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

luau#62,285Lahm#62,266kith#62,258juts#62,245

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list