l

noun

ˈel 

variants often L

plural l's or ls ˈelz 

often attributive

1

a

: the 12th letter of the English alphabet

b

: a graphic representation of this letter

c

: a speech counterpart of orthographic l

2

: fifty see Table of Numbers

3

: a graphic device for reproducing the letter l

4

: one designated l especially as the 12th in order or class

5

: something shaped like the letter L

specifically : ell entry 2 sense 1

6

: el entry 2

Did you know?

Words Starting With L

Browse 11,988 words and phrases that start with the letter L, from la to lytic.

Examples of l in a Sentence

a word that starts with an l

a word that starts with l

Recent Examples on the Web

The faucet is a portable Dometic Go unit piped to a 34-L fresh water tank, while the shower is a portable Geyser system drawing from the same tank. —New Atlas, 5 June 2026

OpenAI Ceo Sam Altman (L) walks to a meeting with US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on June 3, 2026. —Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 3 June 2026

Richard Dean Anderson slipped into the boots of Colonel Jack O'Neill (this time with two 'l's) while Michael Shanks took over from James Spader as Daniel Jackson. —Ian Stokes, Space.com, 3 June 2026

Ellington was a Class L semifinalist last year but graduated pitcher Cam Fisher, who was last year’s state Gatorade Player of the Year. —Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 3 June 2026

The best-selling novel was previously in development for a series on Freeform with The L Word‘s Ilene Chaiken and Jennifer Beals exec producing. —Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026

Sturgeon was arrested in June of 2023 and l ater cleared by police. —ABC News, 31 May 2026

With Saturday’s additions, Georgia has now hit a Division l-best 163 homers. —Sarah Spencer, AJC.com, 31 May 2026

The frigate carries advanced radar systems, including the Thales SMART-L long-range surveillance radar, and is equipped with a 40-cell vertical launch system for surface-to-air missiles. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

l

noun

ˈel

often capitalized

1

: the 12th letter of the English alphabet

2

: fifty in Roman numerals

Medical Definition

L

1 of 3 abbreviation

1

left

2

levorotatory

3

light

4

liquid

5

liter

6

lumbar

—used especially with a number from 1 to 5 to indicate a vertebra or segment of the spinal cord in the lumbar region

L

2 of 3 symbol

lithium

l-

3 of 3 prefix

1

ˌlē-(ˌ)vō, ˌel, ˈel

: levorotatory

—usually printed in italic

l-tartaric acid

2

ˌel, ˈel

: having a similar configuration at a selected carbon atom to the configuration of levorotatory glyceraldehyde

—usually printed as a small capital

L-fructose

L-tryptophan