layervsLeierConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#31,150
“layer” frequency rank
#33,168
“Leier” frequency rank
64318
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature layer Leier
Definition Schicht Saiteninstrument in der Form einer Lyra

Letter map: layer vs Leier

Shared letters muted; letters that set layer and Leier apart highlighted. Shared run: 3.

5 ch
layer
5 ch
Leier

Pair insight - layer / Leier

layer and Leier are indexed as a confusable German pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 64318, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

layer is recorded at frequency rank #31,150, classified as anoun, pronounced […]. Leier is at rank #33,168, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈlaɪ̯ɐ].

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 64318, this pair ranks #645,775 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of layer vs Leier

Shared letters: elr. Private to "layer": ay. Private to "Leier": i.

"layer" · 5 letters · shape CVVVC  ·  "Leier" · 5 letters · shape CVVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • layeralyer · laeyr · layerr · layre · layyer · llayer · lyaer
  • Leierelier · leeir · leierr · leire · lieer · lleier

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "layer" for "Leier" ever safe?
No. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, but the dictionary glosses above give them different meanings, so swapping one for the other changes what the sentence says.
Frequency check: "layer" vs "Leier" - which ranks higher?
"layer" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #31,150 in our German list, against #33,168 for "Leier". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Pair "layer" vs "Leier" is on the table, pick a follow-up below.

  • Full dictionary entry for "layer" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Leier" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #645,775 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "layer" and "Leier" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Lees vs Leier". 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 #645,775 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list