lumbago
/lʌmˈbeɪɡəʊ/
"lumbago" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“lumbago” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Backache of the lumbar region or lower back, which can be caused by muscle strain or a slipped disc.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | lumbago |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /lʌmˈbeɪɡəʊ/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “lumbago” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
lumbago is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /lʌmˈbeɪɡəʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
lumbago has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is borrowed from Late Latin lumbāgō (“backache of the lumbar region”), from Late Latin lumbus (“lumbar”), Latin lumbus (“loin”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lendʰ- (“loins”)) + -āgō (suffix forming nouns describing objects, animals, and pl… The correct English form is lumbago, spelled L-U-M-B-A-G-O.
Definition
- 1Backache of the lumbar region or lower back, which can be caused by muscle strain or a slipped disc.
- 2An episode of such backache.
Etymology
The noun is borrowed from Late Latin lumbāgō (“backache of the lumbar region”), from Late Latin lumbus (“lumbar”), Latin lumbus (“loin”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lendʰ- (“loins”)) + -āgō (suffix forming nouns describing objects, animals, and plants). The verb is derived from the noun.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “lumbago”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is L-U-M-B-A-G-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /lʌmˈbeɪɡəʊ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.