lebstvslügstWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#9,057
“lebst” frequency rank
#36,489
“lügst” frequency rank
45546
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature lebst lügst
Definition 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs leben 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lügen

Where the eye mixes lebst and lügst

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.

5 ch
lebst
5 ch
lügst

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. lebst ([leːpst]) and lügst ([lyːkst]) 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 45546, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

lebst is recorded at frequency rank #9,057, classified as averb, pronounced [leːpst]. lügst is at rank #36,489, tagged as averb, pronounced [lyːkst].

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 45546, this pair ranks #1,349,370 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of lebst vs lügst

Shared letters: lst. Private to "lebst": be. Private to "lügst": .

"lebst" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC  ·  "lügst" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • lebstelbst · lbest · lebbst · lebsst · lebstt · lebts · lesbt · llebst

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "lebst" and "lügst" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([leːpst] versus [lyːkst]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "lebst" or "lügst"?
"lebst" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,057 in our German list, against #36,489 for "lügst". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list