leihvsleiteWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#40,670
“leih” frequency rank
#21,339
“leite” frequency rank
62009
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature leih leite
Definition 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs leihen 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs leiten

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
leih
5 ch
leite

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. leih ([laɪ̯]) and leite ([ˈlaɪ̯tə]) 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 62009, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

leih is recorded at frequency rank #40,670, classified as averb, pronounced [laɪ̯]. leite is at rank #21,339, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈlaɪ̯tə].

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 62009, this pair ranks #728,602 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of leih vs leite

Shared letters: eil. Private to "leih": h. Private to "leite": t.

"leih" · 4 letters · shape CVVC  ·  "leite" · 5 letters · shape CVVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • leihelih · lehi · leihh · lleih
  • leiteelite · leiet · letie · liete · lleite

Frequency comparison

leih#40,670
leite#21,339

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "leih" and "leite" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([laɪ̯] versus [ˈlaɪ̯tə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "leih" or "leite"?
"leite" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #21,339 in our German list, against #40,670 for "leih". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering leih vs leite

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 “leih” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list