lynx
\lɛ̃ks\
The verdict
“lynx” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #23,925 in French word frequency and used as a noun.
- #23,925
- frequency rank, French
- 4
- letters
- 7
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Une des espèces de félins sauvages ressemblant à un gros chat, dont la face est ornée de favoris et d’oreilles triangulaires surmontées d’une touffe de poil, et le corps doté d’une courte queue et ...
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 | lynx |
| Language | French |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | \lɛ̃ks\ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Frequency rank | #23,925 |
| Misspellings tracked | 7 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “lynx” sits in French frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The French entry for lynx is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \lɛ̃ks\. Corpus data places it at rank #23,925 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for lynx, with forms such as "llynx", "lnyx", and "lynnx". 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, "lys", "Lyon", "lyre", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is lynx, spelled L-Y-N-X.
Definition
- 1Une des espèces de félins sauvages ressemblant à un gros chat, dont la face est ornée de favoris et d’oreilles triangulaires surmontées d’une touffe de poil, et le corps doté d’une courte queue et de longues pattes.
- 2Félin ressemblant aux espèces du genre Lynx.
- 3Synonyme de phalène ocellée (papillon), (Cosmorhoe ocellata).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: llynx,lnyx,lynnx,lynxx,lyxn,lyynx,ylnx
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of lynx - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "lynx"?
What does "lynx" mean?
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Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “lynx”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct French spelling is L-Y-N-X - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as \lɛ̃ks\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “lys” - see the side-by-side comparison. lynx vs lys
- 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.