Which to use
“lädt” is a verb and “lau” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,980
- “lädt” frequency rank
- #16,210
- “lau” frequency rank
- 20190
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lädt | lau |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs laden | von einer mittleren Temperatur zwischen kühl und warm |
Where the eye mixes lädt and lau
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between lädt and lau
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lädt is [lɛːt] while lau is [laʊ̯]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 20190, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lädt is recorded at frequency rank #3,980, classified as averb, pronounced [lɛːt]. lau is at rank #16,210, tagged as anadj, pronounced [laʊ̯].
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 20190, this pair ranks #1,900,336 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of lädt vs lau
Shared letters: l. Private to "lädt": dtä. Private to "lau": au.
"lädt" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "lau" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "lädt" for "lau" ever safe?
Frequency check: "lädt" vs "lau" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "lädt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lau" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,900,336 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lädt" and "lau" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lame vs lau". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,900,336 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.