lullaby

/ˈlʌləbaɪ/

//ˈlʌləbaɪ// noun

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

"lullaby" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lullaby” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,151. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,151
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
9
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A cradlesong, a soothing song to calm children or lull them to sleep.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lullaby · lullaby · English

lullaby · rank #26,151 · 9 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,151
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH lull

Nearest frequency peer: lull (-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 “lullaby”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lullaby” 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 lullaby
PropertyValue
Headwordlullaby
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlʌləbaɪ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#26,151
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lullaby”

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).lullabylands 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 “lull” (#26,150), “Macedonian” (#26,152), “Lockwood” (#26,149). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lullaby” is #26,151. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around lullaby (IPA /ˈlʌləbaɪ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #26,151 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A cradlesong, a soothing song to calm children or lull them to sleep.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for lullaby, with forms such as "llulaby", "llullaby", and "lulaby". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English lullen (“to lull”) + bye. First recorded circa 1560. Compare Old English bī, bī (“lullaby!”, interjection). The correct English form is lullaby, spelled L-U-L-L-A-B-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A cradlesong, a soothing song to calm children or lull them to sleep.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. sing a lullaby

Etymology

From Middle English lullen (“to lull”) + bye. First recorded circa 1560. Compare Old English bī, bī (“lullaby!”, interjection).

Synonyms

berceusecradle song

This word in other languages

canción de cuna(Español)berceuse(Français)Schlaflied(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • llulaby
  • llullaby
  • lulaby
  • lulalby
  • lullabby
  • lullabyy
  • lullayb
  • lullbay
  • ulllaby

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of lullaby - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

llulaby2llullaby1lulaby1lulalby2lullabby1lullabyy1lullayb2lullbay2
Edit distance from "lullaby"

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 "lullaby"?
"lullaby" is spelled L-U-L-L-A-B-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlʌləbaɪ/.
What does "lullaby" mean?
As a noun, "lullaby" means: A cradlesong, a soothing song to calm children or lull them to sleep.
What are common misspellings of "lullaby"?
Common misspellings include "llulaby", "llullaby", "lulaby", "lulalby", "lullabby". The correct spelling is "lullaby".
How do you pronounce "lullaby"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lullaby" is /ˈlʌləbaɪ/. 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 "lullaby"?
From Middle English lullen (“to lull”) + bye. First recorded circa 1560. Compare Old English bī, bī (“lullaby!”, interjection). 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 "lullaby", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Martina#26,157nascent#26,183novella#26,188hilltop#26,112

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

lesion9 variantskeenly9 variantsirritate9 variantsgunning9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list