lumbar

/ˈlʌm.bɑː/

//ˈlʌm.bɑː// adj

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

"lumbar" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lumbar” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,828. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,828
frequency rank, English
2,297
“L” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Related to the lower back or loin, specifically the five vertebrae between the rib cage and the pelvis.

Corpus desk

Index EN-lumbar · lumbar · English

lumbar · rank #25,828 · 9 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,828
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,297
  • PHOTO-FINISH lukewarm

Nearest frequency peer: lukewarm (-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 “lumbar”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “lumbar” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lumbar vs lunar
67% similar
lumbar vs lumia
67% similar
lumbar vs lumber
83% similar

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

Key facts for lumbar
PropertyValue
Headwordlumbar
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈlʌm.bɑː/
Letters6
Frequency rank#25,828
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “lumbar”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).lumbarlands 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 “lukewarm” (#25,827), “lumen” (#25,829), “lug” (#25,826). Among 2,297 “L” headwords, “lumbar” is #25,828. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around lumbar (IPA /ˈlʌm.bɑː/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #25,828 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Related to the lower back or loin, specifically the five vertebrae between the rib cage and the pelvis.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for lumbar, with forms such as "llumbar", "lmubar", and "lubmar". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "lunar", "lumia", "lumber", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin lumbāris, from lumbus (“loin”) + -āris. See loin. The correct English form is lumbar, spelled L-U-M-B-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Related to the lower back or loin, specifically the five vertebrae between the rib cage and the pelvis.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The lumbar spine supports the upper body and transmits the weight of the upper body to the pelvis and lower limbs.

Etymology

From Latin lumbāris, from lumbus (“loin”) + -āris. See loin.

This word in other languages

lumbar(Español)lombaire(Français)Lenden-(Deutsch)lombar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • llumbar
  • lmubar
  • lubmar
  • lumabr
  • lumbarr
  • lumbbar
  • lumbra
  • lummbar
  • ulmbar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

llumbar1lmubar2lubmar2lumabr2lumbarr1lumbbar1lumbra2lummbar1
Edit distance from "lumbar"

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 "lumbar"?
"lumbar" is spelled L-U-M-B-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlʌm.bɑː/.
What does "lumbar" mean?
As an adjective, "lumbar" means: Related to the lower back or loin, specifically the five vertebrae between the rib cage and the pelvis.
What words are commonly confused with "lumbar"?
"lumbar" is commonly confused with "lunar", "lumia", "lumber". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lumbar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lumbar" is /ˈlʌm.bɑː/. 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 "lumbar"?
From Latin lumbāris, from lumbus (“loin”) + -āris. See loin. 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 "lumbar", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Maison#25,834markup#25,838marred#25,839Kermit#25,815

Similar misspelling depth

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

Kendra9 variantsmotley9 variantsmowing9 variantsnetball9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list