Which to use
“lack” and “las” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #12,118
- “lack” frequency rank
- #3,265
- “las” frequency rank
- 15383
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lack | las |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lacken | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs lesen |
Where the eye mixes lack and las
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between lack and las
A purely visual mix-up. lack ([lak]) and las ([laːs]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15383, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lack is recorded at frequency rank #12,118, classified as averb, pronounced [lak]. las is at rank #3,265, tagged as averb, pronounced [laːs].
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 15383, this pair ranks #1,944,291 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of lack vs las
Shared letters: al. Private to "lack": ck. Private to "las": s.
"lack" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "las" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- lack ← alck · lacck · lackk · lakc · lcak · llack
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lack" and "las" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "lack" vs "las" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "lack" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "las" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,944,291 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lack" and "las" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lack vs lame". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,944,291 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.