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 eye mixes Läuse and Linse
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. Läuse (CVVCV) and Linse (CVCCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses Läuse with Linse
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": uä. Private to "Linse": in.
"Läuse" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV · "Linse" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- Linse ← ilnse · linnse · linsse · lisne · llinse · lnise
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Läuse" and "Linse" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Läuse" or "Linse"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Läuse" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Linse" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #717,729 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Läuse" and "Linse" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lame vs Läuse". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #717,729 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.