Leiutenant or lieutenant?
Did you mean lieutenant? Here's the right spelling and how to remember it.
Incorrect
leiutenant
Correct
lieutenant
Correct spelling: lieutenant. Misspelling: leiutenant.
letters the misspelling gets wrong or leaves out letters that shouldn't be there
Memory tip
It starts with "lieu", as in "in lieu of": LIEU-tenant.
Why people write “leiutenant”
The misspelling “leiutenant” is only one letter off: it writes EI instead of IE, the classic "i before e" trap.
Spell-checkers catch the mistake in a document, but not in a handwritten note, a text message or a word game. Writing the word out a few times while saying the tricky part aloud is the quickest way to make lieutenant automatic.
Other misspellings of “lieutenant”
People also write “lieutenent” and “leutenant”. Here is where each one goes wrong.
“lieutenent”
Correct spelling: lieutenant. Misspelling: lieutenent.
letters the misspelling gets wrong or leaves out letters that shouldn't be there
The endings -ant and -ent are pronounced the same way; this word takes -ant.
“leutenant”
Correct spelling: lieutenant. Misspelling: leutenant.
letters the misspelling gets wrong or leaves out letters that shouldn't be there
The misspelling “leutenant” is only one letter off: it leaves out the I.
What does “lieutenant” mean?
lieutenant noun
- a commissioned military officer
- an officer in a police force
Synonyms:
- an assistant with power to act when his superior is absent
Synonyms:deputy
- an officer holding a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard; below lieutenant commander and above lieutenant junior grade
Definitions from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Full dictionary entry
“Lieutenant” in a sentence
- The lieutenant gave the order.
Is “lieutenant” a playable word?
10 points in Scrabble · 14 in Words With Friends
- Scrabble (US)
- Scrabble (UK)
- Words With Friends
“leiutenant” is not accepted in any of these games. See every word you can make from LIEUTENANT.