Which to use
“lag” is a verb and “lame” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #906
- “lag” frequency rank
- #49,857
- “lame” frequency rank
- 50763
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lag | lame |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs liegen | dünne Platte, dünne Schicht, Klinge |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lag and lame apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lag is [laːk] while lame is [lam]. 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 noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 50763, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lag is recorded at frequency rank #906, classified as averb, pronounced [laːk]. lame is at rank #49,857, tagged as anoun, pronounced [lam].
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 50763, this pair ranks #1,161,405 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lag vs lame
Shared letters: al. Private to "lag": g. Private to "lame": em.
"lag" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "lame" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- lame ← alme · laem · lamme · llame · lmae
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lag" and "lame" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "lag" or "lame"?
Remembering lag vs lame
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “lag”; for a noun, it's “lame”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “lag” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable