LastvslistWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: Last is a noun, list is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“Last” is a noun and “list” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#2,904
“Last” frequency rank
#9,059
“list” frequency rank
11963
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Last list
Definition etwas, was sich durch sein Gewicht nach unten drückt oder zieht; auch Ladung, Fracht; was man trägt 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs listen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Last and list apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
Last
4 ch
list

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Last and list 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 a single letter - a in “Last” becomes i in “list” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11963, 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]. list is at rank #9,059, tagged as averb, pronounced [lɪst].

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 11963, this pair ranks #1,966,953 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

Last#2,904
list#9,059

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Last" and "list" be used interchangeably?
No, "Last" and "list" 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 list

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Last”; for a verb, it's “list”.
  • 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