Which to use
“lau” and “lax” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #16,210
- “lau” frequency rank
- #43,323
- “lax” frequency rank
- 59533
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lau | lax |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | von einer mittleren Temperatur zwischen kühl und warm | nicht streng (in der Auslegung von Regeln) |
Where the eye mixes lau and lax
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between lau and lax
A purely visual mix-up. lau ([laʊ̯]) and lax ([laks]) 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 a single letter - u in “lau” becomes x in “lax”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59533, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lau is recorded at frequency rank #16,210, classified as anadj, pronounced [laʊ̯]. lax is at rank #43,323, tagged as anadj, pronounced [laks].
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 59533, this pair ranks #821,037 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lau vs lax
Shared letters: al. Private to "lau": u. Private to "lax": x.
"lau" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "lax" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "lau" for "lax" ever safe?
Frequency check: "lau" vs "lax" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "lau" and "lax" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "lau" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "lax" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #821,037 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lau" and "lax" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lame vs lax". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #821,037 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.