lukewarm

/ˌluːkˈwɔːm/

//ˌluːkˈwɔːm// adj

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

"lukewarm" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lukewarm” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,827. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,827
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Between warm and cool.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lukewarm · lukewarm · English

lukewarm · rank #25,827 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,827
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH lug

Nearest frequency peer: lug (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “lukewarm”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “lukewarm” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for lukewarm
PropertyValue
Headwordlukewarm
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌluːkˈwɔːm/
Letters8
Frequency rank#25,827
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lukewarm”

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).lukewarmlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “lug” (#25,826), “lumbar” (#25,828), “lumen” (#25,829). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lukewarm” is #25,827. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around lukewarm (IPA /ˌluːkˈwɔːm/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #25,827 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for lukewarm, with forms such as "lkuewarm", "llukewarm", and "luekwarm". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English leukwarm, lukewarm (“lukewarm, tepid”), equivalent to luke (“lukewarm”) + warm. Compare Saterland Frisian luukwoarm (“lukewarm”), German Low German luukwarm (“lukewarm”), German lauwarm (“lukewarm”). First element believed to be an alter… The correct English form is lukewarm, spelled L-U-K-E-W-A-R-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Between warm and cool.
  2. 2
    Unenthusiastic (about a proposal or an idea).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Wash it in lukewarm water.
  2. My curry is lukewarm.

Etymology

From Middle English leukwarm, lukewarm (“lukewarm, tepid”), equivalent to luke (“lukewarm”) + warm. Compare Saterland Frisian luukwoarm (“lukewarm”), German Low German luukwarm (“lukewarm”), German lauwarm (“lukewarm”). First element believed to be an alteration of Middle English lew (“tepid”) (> English dialectal lew), from Old English hlēow (“warm, sunny”), from Proto-Germanic *hliwjaz, *hlēwaz, *hlūmaz, *hleumaz (“warm”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱal(w)e-, *ḱel(w)e-, *k(')lēw- (“warm, hot”). Cognate with Dutch lauw (“tepid”), German lau (“lukewarm”), Faroese lýggjur (“warm”), Swedish ljum (“lukewarm”), ljummen (“lukewarm”) and ly (“warm”), Danish lummer (“muggy”), Danish and Norwegian lunken (“tepid”), dialectal Swedish ljummen (“lukewarm”).

This word in other languages

tibio(Español)tiède(Français)lauwarm(Deutsch)morno(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • lkuewarm
  • llukewarm
  • luekwarm
  • lukeawrm
  • lukewamr
  • lukewarmm
  • lukewarrm
  • lukewram
  • lukewwarm
  • lukkewarm
  • lukwearm
  • ulkewarm

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of lukewarm - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

lkuewarm2llukewarm1luekwarm2lukeawrm2lukewamr2lukewarmm1lukewarrm1lukewram2
Edit distance from "lukewarm"

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 "lukewarm"?
"lukewarm" is spelled L-U-K-E-W-A-R-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌluːkˈwɔːm/.
What does "lukewarm" mean?
As an adjective, "lukewarm" means: Between warm and cool.
What are common misspellings of "lukewarm"?
Common misspellings include "lkuewarm", "llukewarm", "luekwarm", "lukeawrm", "lukewamr". The correct spelling is "lukewarm".
How do you pronounce "lukewarm"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lukewarm" is /ˌluːkˈwɔːm/. 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 "lukewarm"?
From Middle English leukwarm, lukewarm (“lukewarm, tepid”), equivalent to luke (“lukewarm”) + warm. Compare Saterland Frisian luukwoarm (“lukewarm”), German Low German luukwarm (“lukewarm”), German lauwarm (“lukewarm”). First element believed to b... 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 "lukewarm", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

lonesome#25,824Monmouth#25,848obstruct#25,862Pharrell#25,879

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

irritable12 variantsGranville12 variantsplacenta12 variantsgenitalia12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list