LastvslisWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,904
“Last” frequency rank
#38,263
“lis” frequency rank
41167
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Last lis
Definition etwas, was sich durch sein Gewicht nach unten drückt oder zieht; auch Ladung, Fracht; was man trägt Stieleiche

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
Last
3 ch
lis

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Last and lis form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41167, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Last is recorded at frequency rank #2,904, classified as anoun, pronounced [last]. lis is at rank #38,263, tagged as anoun, pronounced [lis].

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 41167, this pair ranks #1,487,372 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

Last#2,904
lis#38,263

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Last" and "lis" be used interchangeably?
No, "Last" and "lis" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering Last vs lis

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 “Last” 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