Which to use
“least” and “legst” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #21,333
- “least” frequency rank
- #17,645
- “legst” frequency rank
- 38978
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | least | legst |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs leasen | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs legen |
Where the eye mixes least and legst
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. least (CVVCC) and legst (CVCCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses least with legst
A purely visual mix-up. least ([liːst]) and legst ([leːkst]) 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 a single letter - a in “least” becomes g in “legst”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38978, 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]. legst is at rank #17,645, tagged as averb, pronounced [leːkst].
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 38978, this pair ranks #1,549,504 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of least vs legst
Shared letters: elst. Private to "least": a. Private to "legst": g.
"least" · 5 letters · shape CVVCC · "legst" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "least" and "legst" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "least" or "legst"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "least" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "legst" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,549,504 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "least" and "legst" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "least vs Lees". 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 #1,549,504 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.