Which to use
“lax” is an adjective and “leb” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #43,323
- “lax” frequency rank
- #15,418
- “leb” frequency rank
- 58741
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lax | leb |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht streng (in der Auslegung von Regeln) | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs leben |
Where the eye mixes lax and leb
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses lax with leb
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: lax is [laks] while leb is [leːp]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58741, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lax is recorded at frequency rank #43,323, classified as anadj, pronounced [laks]. leb is at rank #15,418, tagged as averb, pronounced [leːp].
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 58741, this pair ranks #851,059 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of lax vs leb
Shared letters: l. Private to "lax": ax. Private to "leb": be.
"lax" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "leb" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "lax" for "leb" ever safe?
Which is more common, "lax" or "leb"?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "lax" and "leb" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "lax" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "leb" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #851,059 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lax" and "leb" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "lame vs lax". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #851,059 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.