lyre

/ˈlaɪ.ə/

//ˈlaɪ.ə// noun

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

"lyre" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“lyre” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #46,595 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#46,595
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An ancient stringed musical instrument (a yoke lute chordophone) of Greek origin, consisting of two arms extending from a body to a crossbar (a yoke), and strings, parallel to the soundboard, conne...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lyre vs lyric
60% similar
lyre vs le
50% similar
lyre vs LR
0% similar

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

Key facts for lyre
PropertyValue
Headwordlyre
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈlaɪ.ə/
Letters4
Frequency rank#46,595
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lyre” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). lyre lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for lyre is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈlaɪ.ə/. Corpus data places it at rank #46,595 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for lyre, with forms such as "llyre", "lrye", and "lyer". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "lyric", "le", "LR", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek λύρᾱ (lúrā, “lyre, a stringed instrument with a sounding-board formed of the shell of a tortoise”). Doublet of lira, Lyra, and lyra. The correct English form is lyre, spelled L-Y-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An ancient stringed musical instrument (a yoke lute chordophone) of Greek origin, consisting of two arms extending from a body to a crossbar (a yoke), and strings, parallel to the soundboard, connecting the body to the yoke.
  2. 2
    An ancient stringed musical instrument (a yoke lute chordophone) of Greek origin, consisting of two arms extending from a body to a crossbar (a yoke), and strings, parallel to the soundboard, connecting the body to the yoke.
  3. 3
    A lyre-shaped sheet music holder that attaches to a wind instrument when a music stand is impractical.
  4. 4
    A composer of lyric poetry.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek λύρᾱ (lúrā, “lyre, a stringed instrument with a sounding-board formed of the shell of a tortoise”). Doublet of lira, Lyra, and lyra.

Synonyms

yoke lute

This word in other languages

lira(Español)lyre(Français)Leier(Deutsch)lira(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: llyre,lrye,lyer,lyrre,lyyre,ylre

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of lyre - 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.

llyre1lrye2lyer2lyrre1lyyre1ylre2
Edit distance from "lyre"

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 "lyre"?
"lyre" is spelled L-Y-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈlaɪ.ə/.
What does "lyre" mean?
As a noun, "lyre" means: An ancient stringed musical instrument (a yoke lute chordophone) of Greek origin, consisting of two arms extending from a body to a crossbar (a yoke), and strings, parallel to the soundboard, conne...
What words are commonly confused with "lyre"?
"lyre" is commonly confused with "lyric", "le", "LR". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lyre"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lyre" is /ˈlaɪ.ə/. 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 "lyre"?
From Ancient Greek λύρᾱ (lúrā, “lyre, a stringed instrument with a sounding-board formed of the shell of a tortoise”). Doublet of lira, Lyra, and lyra. 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.

Using “lyre”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is L-Y-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈlaɪ.ə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “lyric” - see the side-by-side comparison. lyre vs lyric
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list