leastvslebtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#21,333
“least” frequency rank
#1,136
“lebt” frequency rank
22469
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature least lebt
Definition 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs leasen 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs leben

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
least
4 ch
lebt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. least ([liːst]) and lebt ([leːpt]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22469, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

least is recorded at frequency rank #21,333, classified as averb, pronounced [liːst]. lebt is at rank #1,136, tagged as averb, pronounced [leːpt].

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 22469, this pair ranks #1,873,761 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of least vs lebt

Shared letters: elt. Private to "least": as. Private to "lebt": b.

"least" · 5 letters · shape CVVCC  ·  "lebt" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • leastelast · laest · leasst · leastt · leats · lesat · lleast
  • lebtelbt · lbet · lebbt · lebtt · letb · llebt

Frequency comparison

least#21,333
lebt#1,136

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "least" and "lebt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([liːst] versus [leːpt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "least" or "lebt"?
"lebt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,136 in our German list, against #21,333 for "least". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering least vs lebt

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 “least” 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