Which to use
“Lab” is a noun and “lax” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #18,610
- “Lab” frequency rank
- #43,323
- “lax” frequency rank
- 61933
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Lab | lax |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Enzymgemisch, das aus Kälbermägen gewonnen wird und zur Käseherstellung genutzt wird | nicht streng (in der Auslegung von Regeln) |
Where the eye mixes Lab and lax
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Lab is [laːp] while lax is [laks]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - b in “Lab” becomes x in “lax”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61933, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Lab is recorded at frequency rank #18,610, classified as anoun, pronounced [laːp]. lax is at rank #43,323, tagged as anadj, pronounced [laks].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 61933, this pair ranks #731,366 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Lab vs lax
Shared letters: al. Private to "Lab": b. Private to "lax": x.
"Lab" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "lax" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Lab" and "lax" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Lab" or "lax"?
What to do next
You've compared "Lab" and "lax". Here's where to go from here.
- Full dictionary entry for "Lab" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lax" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #731,366 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Lab" and "lax" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lame vs lax". Nearby pair
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.