Which to use
“leicht” is an adjective and “leih” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #491
- “leicht” frequency rank
- #40,670
- “leih” frequency rank
- 41161
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | leicht | leih |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ein geringes Gewicht habend | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs leihen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set leicht and leih apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: leicht is [laɪ̯çt] while leih is [laɪ̯]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41161, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
leicht is recorded at frequency rank #491, classified as anadj, pronounced [laɪ̯çt]. 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 41161, this pair ranks #1,487,540 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of leicht vs leih
Shared letters: ehil. Private to "leicht": ct. Private to "leih": -.
"leicht" · 6 letters · shape CVVCCC · "leih" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "leicht" and "leih" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "leicht" or "leih"?
Remembering leicht vs leih
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “leicht”; for a verb, it's “leih”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “leicht” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable