lier

\li.je\

/\li.je\/ verb

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

The verdict

“lier” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #10,528 in French word frequency and used as a verb.

#10,528
frequency rank, French
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Serrer avec une corde ou avec toute autre chose flexible.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lier vs LR
0% similar
lier vs lit
50% similar
lier vs lis
50% similar

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

Key facts for lier
PropertyValue
Headwordlier
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\li.je\
Letters4
Frequency rank#10,528
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lier” 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). lier 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 lier is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \li.je\. Corpus data places it at rank #10,528 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 14 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 lier, with forms such as "iler", "leir", and "lierr". 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, "LR", "lit", "lis", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is lier, spelled L-I-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Serrer avec une corde ou avec toute autre chose flexible.
  2. 2
    Saisir l’oiseau avec ses serres, en parlant d'un oiseau de proie.
  3. 3
    Faire un nœud.
  4. 4
    Joindre différentes parties par quelque substance qui s’incorpore dans les unes et dans les autres.
  5. 5
    Donner de la consistance, épaissir une sauce.
  6. 6
    Joindre les lettres dans l’écriture.
  7. 7
    Exécuter successivement deux ou plusieurs notes d’un même coup d’archet, ou d’un seul coup de langue sur un instrument à vent, ou d’un seul coup de gosier en chantant.
  8. 8
    Faire une liaison lors d’un énoncé, modifier la prononciation d’un mot en fonction de son contexte dans la phrase.
  9. 9
    …
  10. 10
    …
  11. 11
    Entrer en conversation, en commerce, en relations avec quelqu’un.
  12. 12
    Attacher, unir, enchaîner ensemble en parlant des personnes.
  13. 13
    Astreindre, obliger.
  14. 14
    Exprime le pouvoir de juridiction spirituelle donné par Jésus-Christ à l’église, au for intérieur et au for extérieur.

Synonyms

attacherrelier

Antonyms

délier

This word in other languages

tie(English)ligar(Español)binden(Deutsch)atar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: iler,leir,lierr,llier

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of lier - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

iler2leir2lierr1llier1
Edit distance from "lier"

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 "lier"?
"lier" is spelled L-I-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is \li.je\.
What does "lier" mean?
As a verb, "lier" means: Serrer avec une corde ou avec toute autre chose flexible.
What words are commonly confused with "lier"?
"lier" is commonly confused with "LR", "lit", "lis". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "lier"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "lier" is \li.je\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "lier" come from?
"lier" is a French word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “lier”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is L-I-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \li.je\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “LR” - see the side-by-side comparison. lier vs LR
  • 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