Which to use
“lehn” and “leih” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #34,238
- “lehn” frequency rank
- #40,670
- “leih” frequency rank
- 74908
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | lehn | leih |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs lehnen | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs leihen |
Where the eye mixes lehn and leih
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. lehn (CVCC) and leih (CVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between lehn and leih
A purely visual mix-up. lehn ([leːn]) and leih ([laɪ̯]) 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 74908, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
lehn is recorded at frequency rank #34,238, classified as averb, pronounced [leːn]. leih is at rank #40,670, tagged as averb, pronounced [laɪ̯].
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 74908, this pair ranks #321,322 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of lehn vs leih
Shared letters: ehl. Private to "lehn": n. Private to "leih": i.
"lehn" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "leih" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "lehn" and "leih" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "lehn" or "leih"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "lehn" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "leih" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #321,322 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "lehn" and "leih" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Lees vs leih". 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 #321,322 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.