lien

\ljɛ̃\

/\ljɛ̃\/ noun

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

The verdict

“lien” is in the everyday core of French, ranked #656 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#656
frequency rank, French
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ce qui sert à lier, à attacher des objets ou des parties ensemble.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lien vs lit
50% similar
lien vs lis
50% similar
lien vs lin
75% similar

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

Key facts for lien
PropertyValue
Headwordlien
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ljɛ̃\
Letters4
Frequency rank#656
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lien” sits in French 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). lien 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 French entry for lien is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ljɛ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #656 in overall French word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for lien, with forms such as "ilen", "lein", and "lienn". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "lit", "lis", "lin", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct French form is lien, spelled L-I-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ce qui sert à lier, à attacher des objets ou des parties ensemble.
  2. 2
    Corde ou chaîne qui sert à attacher un prisonnier. En ce sens, il se met ordinairement au pluriel.
  3. 3
    Engagement ; contrat ; attache ; union.
  4. 4
    Élément qui rattache deux ou plusieurs choses entre elles, assure leur relation.
  5. 5
    Dépendance dans laquelle une femme tient un homme en dehors du mariage.
  6. 6
    Les barres horizontales ou obliques réunissant plusieurs figures de notes à crochets successives.
  7. 7
    Moyen hypertexte de transfert vers une source du Web.
  8. 8
    Référence à un fichier ou répertoire apparaissant elle-même comme un fichier.
  9. 9
    Connexion prévue par le concepteur d’une application informatique pour relier des programmes, des parties de programmes, des données, des documents, des sites ou des pages sur la toile.

Synonyms

ligaturemot d’hypertexte

This word in other languages

tie(English)enlace(Español)Fessel(Deutsch)ligação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ilen,lein,lienn,llien

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ilen2lein2lienn1llien1
Edit distance from "lien"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "lien"?
"lien" is spelled L-I-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ljɛ̃\.
What does "lien" mean?
As a noun, "lien" means: Ce qui sert à lier, à attacher des objets ou des parties ensemble.
What words are commonly confused with "lien"?
"lien" is commonly confused with "lit", "lis", "lin". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lien"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lien" is \ljɛ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "lien" come from?
"lien" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “lien”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is L-I-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ljɛ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “lit” - see the side-by-side comparison. lien vs lit
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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