English spellings/Catalogs/L

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	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z
Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list
Common misspellings

This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with L. To see a different letter navigate with the table above. The apostrophe is treated as the last letter of the alphabet, after Z.

For a pronunciation key, click on the blue "Catalogs" link below the article title.^[e]

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L = él railway

lâbel rhymes with tâble

labŏrious

lâbour BrE; AmE -or, cf. Lâbor Pàrty Australia, etc. and Lâbour Pàrty Britain, etc.

lâbourer BrE; AmE -or-

lábyrinth *lábrinth

lackadâisical

lácklustre adjective one word

lácquer *lácker

láddies boys

lâdies women

làger beer hard g, cf. soft g in làrger bigger

lâid egg, table, trap *lâyed

lâin down = lâne traffic

lãir hideout ≈ lâyer covering

lâissèz-fãire has a silent z: *lây-sây-fãir

lámb sheep = lám law, thrash

lambást or lambâste

lamént

lámentable or laméntable

Lámplugh *Lámplə

lâne road = lâin lie = Lâne, Lâine persons

lánguorous -uorou-: -ərə-

Làos nation = lòuse bug

lápdog one word

lápse negative = láps lap

largésse or AmE largéss

làrva insect BrE = làva volcano

laságna *ləzánya, laságnê *ləzányi

lâser -z-; rhymes with râzor

lasso *lassoô

lāst

Làs Vègas: BrE usually *Lós Vègas because in AmE Làs = Lós, and/or by analogy with Lós Ángeles; some British speakers say Lás, but this produces the rather unfortunate "láss Vègas"

lâter

Látin

Latìno

làttè

látter

låud praise = BrE lŏrd master

låudanum

lāughter rhymes with āfter

laundrétte

laureate *lóriət

laurel *lórrel

làva volcano BrE = làrva insect

lávish cf. slâvish

låw legal = BrE lŏre folk: *lŏ; many Francophones cannot distinguish this word, instead pronouncing it like lôw *ləù

Lawrence Ló- or Laurence, w more common

låwyer *lŏyer

lây table, egg, snooker is a verb in its own right, past and past participle both lâid, but do not use lây instead of lîe down (past lây, past participle lâin)

lâybŷ

lâyer covering ≈ lãir hideout

lâys = lâze lazy

lâze lazy = lâys table

lâzy

lêa grass = lêe shelter = Lêe = Lêigh persons

lêach percolate = leêch worm, sail = Lêach = Leêch persons

lêad first, guide, write, dog = lêde write - optional spelling to distinguish it from léad metal

léad metal = léd took, past of lêad, cf. réad, past of rêad

lêader lead = lìêder songs

lêak liquid = lêek vegetable

lêague *lêeg

lêan

léant lean = lént lend = Lént season

lêap

léapt

lëarn past: lëarned or lëarnt

lëarned as an attributive adjective gains a syllable: a *lëarníd mán

lêast less cf. lést in case

lêaves leave, leaf: plural of lêaf and -s form of the verb lêave

Lébanon -ənən; AmE -ón

léd guided = léad metal (Léd Zéppelin is so spelt as to avoid mispronunciation)

lêde introduction to an article, AmE journalistic jargon: alternative spelling, used only in this sense, of lêad, to avoid even momentary confusion with léad metal

lée shelter = Lêe = Lêigh = Lêa persons = lêa grass

lêes dregs cf. lêase contract, unvoiced s: minimal pair

leêch worm, sail = lêach percolate = Lêach = Leêch persons

Lêeds city = lêads lead

lêek vegetable = lêak liquid

lêer look = Lêar person

lé Fanu *Léfənu

léft hand, leave

léftie politics = léfty hand = Léfty = Léftie nicknames for lefty

légacy

lêgal

légend cf. lédge

législâtive AmE; BrE législatíve

législâtor

législatûre

Léicester city = Léster person; each forms a minimal trio with Léinster and Léominster

Léinster Ireland

Leîpzig

léisure BrE *lézher; AmE lêisure *lêzher; BrE rhyming with méasure, pléasure and tréasure

leîtmotìf has the anglicised spelling pronunciation, while the alternative leîtmotìv resembles the original German

lêmur animal BrE = Lìma Peru

Lénnox

léns *lénze, plural lénses

lént lend = Lént season = léant lean

Lêô

Léominster *Lémstər, see Léicester

Lêón person = Lỳón France, cf. lîon animal

Léonard *Lénnərd = Lénnard

léopard animal = Léppard person *lépərd, cf. Léonard, jéopardy, also silent o

lêotàrd *lêətàrd

léper *lépər, rhyming with pépper

léprechåun *léprekåun

Lerŏy or Lêroy, with variant spellings (R, -oi...)

Lés AmE = léss, BrE *Léz

Lésley female = Léslie male

Lesotho *Lesûtû

léss more

léssen less = lésson school

lést in case cf. lêast less

lêthal

léts let = lét’s let us

léttuce *léttis

Levánt

lévee dam = lévy tax

lêver BrE; AmE léver

lêverage BrE; AmE léverage cf. béverage in both

Lêvi

Lévis cf. Lêavis

lévy tax = lévee dam

Leŵ rare = Loû normal (shortenings of Leŵis)

leŵd cf. feûd

Leŵis person, Scotland *Loôwis = Leŵes England

Lhàsa

lîable, three syllables, cf. lîbel, two

liâisón *lì-âizón

lîar false = lŷre music

Líb Dém

lîbel

lîbelous; BrE can be lîbellous

líberal

libertãrian

líberty

libìdo

Lìbra

lîbrary - first r and a may be silent

librãrian

Líbya

lîcence BrE only

lîcense AmE; can be verb in BrE

lîcensêe *lîcencee

lîchen plant = lîken compare

lícker lick = líquor drink

lícoríce, líquoríce *líckerish

lîe untrue (past and past participle: lîed), down (past lây, past participle lâin), cf. lŷing, present participle and gerund of both; and lây table, egg, snooker as a verb in its own right, past and past participle both lâid: the usual mistake is lây instead of lîe

Líechtensteîn or Lísh-

lìen *lêən, or = lêan

lìêder songs = lêader lead

lieû in = loô toilet = Loû person

lieuténant AmE loût-, BrE léft- or loût-

lîfestyle one word

lîfetime one word

lígament

lîght = lîte, humorous or commercial spelling thereof

lîghtning flash *lîtning ≈ lîghtening lighten

lîkable or lîkeable

lîkelihood

lîkely

lîke-mînded

Likùd

lîlac

Lilóngwè

líly-lívered

límb *lím, cf. clîmb up = clîme climate

lîme cf. Lŷme Rêgis

límô

limousìne *limmazêen

línchpín cf. lýnch

Líncoln *Língkən

Líndsay *Línzy = Líndsey Lincolnshire

lîne = Leŷne

línêage *línêíj, cf. lîne

línêar

lîner

lîneúp can be hyphenated or two words

lingerie BrE *lánzhery, AmE *lànjə-rèy

línk cf. lýnx

Línux

lîon animal = Lŷon person, cf. Lỳón France

líp-rêad

líquefy cf. líquid, líquidate

liqueûr chocolate *licûre

líquor whisky = lícker lick

líquoríce, lícoríce *líckerish

Lísbon Portugal *Lízbən = BrE Lísburn Ireland

líst column, sway = Líszt Franz

lísten *líssen

lístless *lístlíss

lîte - humorous or commercial spelling of lîght, unsuitable in other contexts

líterary

líttoral shore = líteral words - or can be littorāl; or be spelt with only one t, lítoral

líturgy

líve verb

lîve adjective cf. lîfe noun

Líverpool cf. lîver bïrd

Liverpúdlian

lîvelihood

lîvely

lívery

líves verb

lîves life plural of lîfe

Líz

Ljubljàna´ *Lyùblyàna

llàma animal = làma Buddhism

Llanélli - Welsh names beginning with the voiceless alveolar fricative ɬ, written Ll-, are pronounced by many English speakers as if they began Thl-, so: *Thlanéthly - though this does not apply to the very common...

Llŏyd *Lŏyd

lôan lend = lône alone

lôath unwilling has unvoiced th; its variant spelling lôth is perhaps preferable, to avoid confusion with the following, lôathe, which is often used incorrectly in its place

lôathe hate has voiced th, *lôadh

lôathsome voiced th, no middle 'e'

lóch Scottish ch, like Arabic 'kh', phonetic symbol χ, cf. lóck; Irish ones are lóugh, same pronunciation

lóckjaw one word

lódge

Lodz *Wùdj

lôgo

Lôís

lolicon: stressless in Japanese; no standard English pronunciation

lóllipop

lólly

Lòndon

lône only = lôan money

lónger long, hard g sounded separately

longëur bore, g not sounded separately

longévity -njé-

Lóngfellow

loô toilet = Loû person = lieû in

loòkalike noun one word

loôphole one word, no hyphen

loôse insecure *lûce, cf. lose lost = loôs loo *lûze: writing loôse for lose is perhaps the second most common mistake in English after ít’s for íts

loôsely

loôser more loose *lûcer, cf. loser lose *lûzer

loôt spoils = lûte music

lŏre folk BrE = låw rule

lórry transport = Laurie person

lose lost *lûze = loôs toilets, cf. loôse insecure *lûce

loser lose *lûzer, cf. loôser more loose

loses lû-, cf. lósses

losing lose *loôzing

lóss

lôth disinclined: variant of lôath, and arguably preferable, as it is further from lôathe hate

Loû person = loô toilet = lieû in; Loû is the normal shortening of Leŵis, Leŵ Hôad being an exception

loûche -sh

Loûìs silent s = Loûìê, or (particularly in St. Loûís) = Leŵís

Louìse *Loô-wêez

Louisiána *Loû-êasy-Ánna, one n

Loûrdes France = lûred lure

lòve cf. lôathe

lôw cf. låw

lûcre *lûker

Lúddite

lúggage

lúllabŷ

lúmbar back = lúmber wood

lúscious *lúshous

lúsh

lûte music = loôt spoils

lúvvie, a satirical British word for an actor cf. lòve, lòvey-dòvey

Lúxemboürg

Luxemboürgian nationality

Lúxemboürgish language

lychêe is a more common spelling than lî-, lît- and litchì

lŷing from lîe

lýmph

lýnch = Lýnch person, cf. línchpin

lýnx animal = línks link

Lỳón France = Lêón person, cf. lîon animal

Lŷra constellation, cf. lìra currency

lŷre harp = lîar cheat

lýric

Lýttelton cf. líttle