The word "likelihood" is spelled /ˈlaɪklihʊd/ in IPA phonetic transcription. The "like" part is pronounced as /laɪk/ with a long "i" sound, while the "lihood" part is pronounced as /lɪhʊd/. The double "l" in "likelihood" is pronounced as a single "l" because it is followed by a consonant. This word refers to the probability or chance of something happening. Proper spelling is important in conveying clear messages in written communication.
Likelihood is a noun that refers to the degree of probability or chance that something will occur or is true. It represents the possibility or likelihood of an event, outcome, or condition happening based on available evidence or circumstances.
In statistics and probability theory, likelihood specifically denotes the probability of observing a particular set of data given a specific model or hypothesis. It is often used in the context of evaluating and comparing different hypotheses or models based on the likelihood of the observed data being produced by each hypothesis.
In everyday usage, likelihood refers to how probable or likely something is to happen. It is a measure of the expected or anticipated occurrence of an event or situation. For instance, if a weather forecast predicts a high likelihood of rain, it suggests that the chances of rain occurring are high. Similarly, if someone says there is a low likelihood of winning the lottery, it means that the probability of winning is low.
Likelihood is often expressed on a scale from low to high, with various degrees in between, such as very likely, somewhat likely, or highly unlikely. This term is widely used in many fields, including mathematics, statistics, science, and everyday discourse, to describe the probability or chance of different outcomes or events.
• Likeness; resemblance.
• Probability; appearance of truth.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word likelihood comes from the Middle English term liklihede, which was derived from the Old English word gelic meaning similar or like. The suffix -hood was added to the word like to create liklihede, which later evolved into likelihood.