lagvslügtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#906
“lag” frequency rank
#9,408
“lügt” frequency rank
10314
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lag lügt
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs liegen 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lügen

Where the spellings diverge

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

3 ch
lag
4 ch
lügt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. lag ([laːk]) and lügt ([lyːkt]) 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 10314, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lag is recorded at frequency rank #906, classified as averb, pronounced [laːk]. lügt is at rank #9,408, tagged as averb, pronounced [lyːkt].

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 10314, this pair ranks #1,975,750 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of lag vs lügt

Shared letters: gl. Private to "lag": a. Private to "lügt": .

"lag" · 3 letters · shape CVC  ·  "lügt" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Frequency comparison

lag#906
lügt#9,408

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lag" and "lügt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([laːk] versus [lyːkt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "lag" or "lügt"?
"lag" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #906 in our German list, against #9,408 for "lügt". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering lag vs lügt

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 “lag” 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