lyre

\liʁ\

/\liʁ\/ noun

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

The verdict

“lyre” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #30,253 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#30,253
frequency rank, French
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Cordophone portable à cordes pincées parallèles au chevalet, dont la caisse de résonance ne se prolonge pas par un manche, qui était en usage chez les anciens.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

lyre vs lys
50% 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
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\liʁ\
Letters4
Frequency rank#30,253
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “lyre” 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). 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 French entry for lyre is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \liʁ\. Corpus data places it at rank #30,253 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 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". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "lys", "le", "LR", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is lyre, spelled L-Y-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Cordophone portable à cordes pincées parallèles au chevalet, dont la caisse de résonance ne se prolonge pas par un manche, qui était en usage chez les anciens.
  2. 2
    Cordophone portable à cordes pincées parallèles au chevalet, dont la caisse de résonance ne se prolonge pas par un manche, qui était en usage chez les anciens.
  3. 3
    Ce qui a la forme de cet instrument de musique.
  4. 4
    Action de faire des vers ; genre auquel se consacre le poète.
  5. 5
    Série complète de choses du même genre.
  6. 6
    Outil composé d’un manche muni d’un fil en métal permettant de couper des tranches ou de diviser des préparations culinaires.
  7. 7
    Meuble représentant l’instrument du même nom dans les armoiries. Elle est généralement représentée sous une forme antique. Lorsque ses cordes sont d’un autre émail, on la dit cordée. À rapprocher de claricorde, guitare, harpe, luth, vièle et violon.
  8. 8
    Accessoire, composé d’un collier et d’une pince, qui maintient une partition sur un instrument et permet à l’instrumentiste de déambuler.
  9. 9
    Dispositif de tuyauterie en forme de Ω permettant le maintien en charge de la partie amont, et piégeant le gaz en créant un point haut. Lorsqu’elle est constituée d’un matériau souple, il peut servir à compenser la dilatation des tuyaux. (lyre de dilatation)

This word in other languages

lyre(English)lira(Español)Lyra(Deutsch)

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 French 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 \liʁ\.
What does "lyre" mean?
As a noun, "lyre" means: Cordophone portable à cordes pincées parallèles au chevalet, dont la caisse de résonance ne se prolonge pas par un manche, qui était en usage chez les anciens.
What words are commonly confused with "lyre"?
"lyre" is commonly confused with "lys", "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 \liʁ\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "lyre" come from?
"lyre" 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 “lyre”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is L-Y-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \liʁ\ (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. lyre 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.

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

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