LäusevsLinseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#43,335
“Läuse” frequency rank
#18,972
“Linse” frequency rank
62307
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Läuse Linse
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Laus Vertreter der Gattung Lens aus der Familie der Schmetterlingsblütler, insbesondere Lens culinaris

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
Läuse
5 ch
Linse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Läuse ([ˈlɔɪ̯zə]) and Linse ([ˈlɪnzə]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 62307, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Läuse is recorded at frequency rank #43,335, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈlɔɪ̯zə]. Linse is at rank #18,972, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlɪnzə].

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 62307, this pair ranks #717,729 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Läuse vs Linse

Shared letters: els. Private to "Läuse": . Private to "Linse": in.

"Läuse" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV  ·  "Linse" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Linseilnse · linnse · linsse · lisne · llinse · lnise

Frequency comparison

Läuse#43,335
Linse#18,972

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Läuse" and "Linse" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈlɔɪ̯zə] versus [ˈlɪnzə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Läuse" or "Linse"?
"Linse" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,972 in our German list, against #43,335 for "Läuse". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Läuse vs Linse

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 “Läuse” 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