lynch
/lɪnt͡ʃ/
"lynch" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“lynch” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,812. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #7,812
- frequency rank, English
- 2,297
- “L” headwords
- 9
- tracked misspellings
- 12
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To execute (somebody) without a proper legal trial or procedure, especially by hanging and backed by a mob.
Corpus desk
Index EN-lynch · lynch · English
lynch · rank #7,812 · 9 variants · 12 confusables
- FREQ-COMMON #7,812
- LEN-MID 5 letters
- VOW-1 1 vowel
- CONFUS-MID 12 pairs
- VAR-MID 9 variants
- BOOK-MID 2,297
- PHOTO-FINISH Lou
Nearest frequency peer: Lou (-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.
Frequency neighbourhood for “lynch”
Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)
- locate
locate
92,192 corpus weight
- locks
locks
92,191 corpus weight
- Lou
Lou
92,190 corpus weight
- lynch
lynch
92,189 corpus weight
- manages
manages
92,188 corpus weight
- masses
masses
92,187 corpus weight
What this shows Bars show where “lynch” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | lynch |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /lɪnt͡ʃ/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Frequency rank | #7,812 |
| Misspellings tracked | 9 |
| Confusable pairs | 12 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “lynch” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 9 spelling variants around lynch (IPA /lɪnt͡ʃ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #7,812 among 2,297 “L” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.
Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for lynch, with forms such as "llynch", "lnych", and "lycnh". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 12 confusable-pair relationships, "Lynn", "lynx", "lyn", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: First attested 1835, from Lynch law, which appeared in 1811. There is a popular claim that it was named after William Lynch, but equally strong arguments would have it named after Charles Lynch. For the surname, see Lynch. Ultimately a possible doublet of l… The correct English form is lynch, spelled L-Y-N-C-H.
Definition
- 1To execute (somebody) without a proper legal trial or procedure, especially by hanging and backed by a mob.
- 2To castigate severely.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how lynch appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Public anger erupted. Soldiers were lynched in the streets including young recruits proven to have been deceived by their generals about the true intentions of the attack.
I telephoned Bill Brandon in Oxford and begged him to get the new refrigeration unit into production before I got lynched.
Etymology
First attested 1835, from Lynch law, which appeared in 1811. There is a popular claim that it was named after William Lynch, but equally strong arguments would have it named after Charles Lynch. For the surname, see Lynch. Ultimately a possible doublet of linch.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- llynch
- lnych
- lycnh
- lyncch
- lynchh
- lynhc
- lynnch
- lyynch
- ylnch
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of lynch - 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.
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 "lynch"?
What does "lynch" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "lynch"?
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Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "lynch", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).
Similar misspelling depth
Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).
What to do next
You've looked up "lynch". Here's where to go from here.
- "lynch" maps to 12 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "Lynn". View pair
- 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
- Usage frequency rank #7,812 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
- Browse more English words in the "L" letter cohort. L–Z browse
- PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.
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.