LackevsLängeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Lacke” and “Länge” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#45,413
“Lacke” frequency rank
#1,930
“Länge” frequency rank
47343
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Lacke Länge
Definition kleine Flüssigkeitsansammlung; Ansammlung von Regenwasser, Pfütze, kleines Gewässer eine horizontale Ausdehnung, Dimension

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Lacke and Länge apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
Lacke
5 ch
Länge

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Lacke ([ˈlakə]) and Länge ([ˈlɛŋə]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47343, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Lacke is recorded at frequency rank #45,413, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈlakə]. Länge is at rank #1,930, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlɛŋə].

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 47343, this pair ranks #1,287,608 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Lacke vs Länge

Shared letters: el. Private to "Lacke": ack. Private to "Länge": gnä.

"Lacke" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "Länge" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Lackealcke · laccke · lacek · lackke · lakce · lcake · llacke

Frequency comparison

Lacke#45,413
Länge#1,930

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Lacke" and "Länge" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈlakə] versus [ˈlɛŋə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Lacke" or "Länge"?
"Länge" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,930 in our German list, against #45,413 for "Lacke". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Lacke vs Länge

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Lacke” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list