Which to use
“lame” is a noun and “lebe” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #49,857
- “lame” frequency rank
- #2,905
- “lebe” frequency rank
- 52762
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lame | lebe |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | dünne Platte, dünne Schicht, Klinge | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs leben |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set lame and lebe 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: lame is [lam] while lebe is [ˈleːbə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52762, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lame is recorded at frequency rank #49,857, classified as anoun, pronounced [lam]. lebe is at rank #2,905, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈleːbə].
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 52762, this pair ranks #1,084,222 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lame vs lebe
Shared letters: el. Private to "lame": am. Private to "lebe": b.
"lame" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "lebe" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "lame" and "lebe" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "lame" or "lebe"?
Remembering lame vs lebe
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “lame”; for a verb, it's “lebe”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “lame” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable